


The Peter Parker Problem

by annas



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man - Fandom, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers
Genre: Angst, Awesome Michelle, Crushes, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Identity Reveal, Mutual Pining, Peter is hunted down by the police, Peter is trouble, Police, Sad Peter Parker, Secret Identity, Set after Spider-Man homecoming, Tags to be added, alternating pov, injured Peter parker, two idiots in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-02
Updated: 2018-02-13
Packaged: 2019-02-09 15:01:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 22,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12890415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annas/pseuds/annas
Summary: "Understandably, the last thing Michelle had expected to be doing late on a Tuesday night was to be tending to a injured Spider-Man on the roof of her apartment building."After a patrol goes horribly wrong, an arrest warrant is wrongly issued for Spider-Man for an attack on a civilian. Meanwhile, Michelle tries to help her new-found crush, Peter Parker and uncover the secrets he's been hiding.Or Michelle has a Peter Parker Problem.





	1. A Peter Parker Problem

**_Michelle_**  

Understandably, the last thing Michelle had expected to be doing late on a Tuesday night was to be tending to a injured Spider-Man on the roof of her apartment building. A bullet wound, cleanly hammered into his thigh, expels a pool of blood onto her jeans as she balances the man - no boy, on her lap. Cursing profusely, Michelle wrenches back the wave of panic  thats gripping her. She can't do this by herself. What the hell was this kid thinking anyway? 

'Come on Spider dude." She jostles the boy delicately but he's rigid and motionless in her grasp. God - is he even breathing? She's begging for a response - something, just anything so she knows he's okay. Michelle doesn't even want to think about what she'll do if he's not. 

Her fingers, shivering slightly in the winter cold, move slowly to his neck, to the fringe where his mask meets the rest of the suit. It was so different- seeing the masked superhero, parade around the city like he's invincible, to now, just a boy, probably terrified that he's going to die. Finally grasping the mask in her fingertips, she lifts the mask up over his face, to reveal a pair of wide brown eyes. 

- 

**_A Few Weeks Earlier_ **

It's winter in New York city and a perilous chill has swept through the heart of Queens. School has been cancelled for over a week now and it's their first day back since the generators got fixed but God, it doesn't feel like it. Michelle trembles angrily opposite Peter and Ned, as they huddle by the radiator that's conveniently positioned next to their table. It's times like this when Michelle is lucky to be on the outside of the cafeteria. Ned is animatedly discussing his theories on the abominable snowman. He's costumed - rather ridiculously - like a christmas tree, swept up in layers upon layer of clothing. She's got to admit though - he looks adorable. But Parker, well Parker is another story. 

Peter is positively blue and that's no exaggeration. His eyes are wide as if he's forcing them to stay awake and his lips are chapped painfully. Knowing Parker he probably fell asleep in a snowbank or something. 

"Peter." He jolts violently as she addresses him, as is he's been stung by an angry wasp. "What's wrong with you?"

Peter just glances back stupidly for a few moment, too stunned to reply. What, she can be nice when she wants to be? 

That is really her main problem at the moment. Apart from the cold- everything's going great for her. She's being acing all her classes ( to no-one's surprise but her own), her mom just got an amazing promotion and she's even been making friends with some of the guys from the debate team. She's even gone for coffee with Cindy a couple of times; she's not unsociable, just selective. Everything should be fine, but then of course, there's the Parker Problem. At first she didn't have a clue what was going on. Peter was...cool. Just a friend, that was all. But then, she'd begun to start catching herself staring at him for too long, as he laughed with Ned in between classes or dorked out over the latest Star-Wars lego release. 

'Stop', she'd told herself. Peter was a problem she did not need. Relationships, crushes and all that garbage were an unneeded and harmful distractions. Did you know that teenagers in relationships were less likely to graduate to Ivy-League universities? Long story short, Peter was an unneeded obstacle that could have been easily been rendered to Michelle's peripheral vision.  Then of course, something terrible had happened. She'd bumped into Peter and his aunt shopping around Thanksgiving. He was wearing that stupid sweater- that one that made his chocolate orbs glow with an angelic quality and his hair was tousled with an effortlessly stupid brilliance. She'd watched too as he weighed kindly on his aunt and giggled at what must have been her jokes.  That was when she'd realised- she was crushing on Parker- badly. 

So now she actually cared if Peter thought she was nice or not; and boy, did she hate it. She didn't owe him niceness- nor did she owe anyone it. But it was becoming incredibly hard not to care about Parker- it was her achilles heel, her fatal flaw. So if Parker was looking like a frozen popsicle, Michelle needed to know why. Damn you, Peter Parker. 

Ned nudges Peter and he stammers incomprehensibly for a bit before remembering how to speak. 

"Yeah! Sure... I'm doing amazing." He nods and then adds, looking down slightly, "Thank you, Michelle"

"You don't look fine." Peter looks astounded she's carrying on the conversation. 

"Uhh... the AC in our apartment, it broke. Probably just a cold." He manages to smile mediocrely at her and something in her stomach twists oddly. Only somewhat satisfied, she nods and starts sketching again in her book, outlining an image that may or may not be Peter. 

-

She's woken up that night by the sound of yelling outside her window. Sliding a book on political theory off her chest, she clambers, disgruntled from her bed to the window overlooking the street. Her apartment looks out onto a normally busy intersection but since it's two in the morning, it's almost deserted. That is apart from Queen's friendly neighbourhood spiderman and the man he's currently trying to arrest. 

They're only a few feet across the street and from what she can see it's not going well. Something is definitely off. She's seen the spider-ling a few times before; once in DC and on other occasions, swinging around Queen's like something from a cartoon. But today- he does not look good. She can tell in his body language that he's absolutely exhausted, his shoulders are slumped and he's crouching slightly as if his knees are about to buckle. 

"Dude, just hand the money over." Spider-thing grimaces but the crook is having none of it, as he's just made a break for it. What happens next, is nothing short of unbelievable. Spider-boy fires a strand of webbing from his suit that binds the man's hands and feet together and for a moment it's all over. Then theres a huge unnatural  crack, as if lightning has just struck the street.

Stark blue light snakes it way along the webbing before wrapping itself around the criminal, who's shaking violently. Oh God- that's not just light...its electricity! Spider-Man is tasering the man and something is very very wrong. Michelle is sure that she hears the superhero scream. In an instant there's are siren and there's cops and the criminal is on the floor and he's not moving. She can't believe what she's just seen, Spider-man is the good guy! He's just electrocuted someone with his suit.

Should he even be allowed that? Spider-Man looks horrified; his look of terror is clear by the way he crouches on the street with his head in his hands. It must have malfunctioned- the suit, it has to have done. Then, the policemen are yelling at people filling onto the street and hanging out their windows to get back inside. Michelle falls away from the window and throws the curtains across the chaos. She barely sleeps a wink for the rest of the night, painfully awake to the sound of slowly dulling sirens. 

- 

 


	2. Arrest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter's problems get worse.

When she leaves her apartment block that day for school, it's as if a scene from a movie has swept into her block. There are local news vans from stations across the city plugging the streets and journalists are swarming, like ants for witnesses. One reporter in particular, a man, meets her nervous eyes and is about to approach but thankfully she's able to slip into the crowd and away from the scene.

If she was hoping to get away from the drama at school, she couldn't have been more wrong. Accusations are flying across classrooms and corridors about last nights events. Everyone is talking about Spider-Man. 

"Weren't the Sokovia Accords supposed to fix shit like this?" She overhears as she's making her way to the Cafeteria "That Spider-thing needs locking up, attacking innocent civilians like that!" 

From what she's heard, the guy who got electrocuted is injured but they're not sure how badly and no one seems to know what happened to Spider-Man. 

"I heard he got arrested." A boy in her calculus class declares excitedly. Michelle's stomach does a backflip. 

She can see how bad this looks, obviously because she saw it herself. The guy couldn't defend himself and Spider-Man had no right to attack him. That's the thing though- she's sure he wasn't trying to hurt him. It must have been some kind of horrible accident. Spider-Man looks out for the little guy, he's the underdog, he'd never try to harm anyone purposely. Or maybe, just maybe... he did go too far... deliberately. Michelle however doesn't want to think about that.

She's packing her equipment away in chemistry when she finally realises that someone's missing - Peter isn't here. Come to think of it she hasn't seen him or Ned all day. She shrugs it off however, too concerned with Spider-Man to concentrate on Parker having a sick day. 

- 

It's three days later when Michelle really starts to worry. Peter hasn't been to school since Monday and its Friday now. She sent a text on thursday but he's yet to respond. He's probably just asleep...or something. So when she wanders into the Lunch Hall at midday, Peter's face is the last one she expects to see and God, does he look awful. He must not have slept for a week, for his skin is so pale she swears she can almost see through it. His whole body is tight and drawn into itself and he blinks nervously glancing, rather paranoid around the room. She wonders what on earth he's looking for. 

"Hey Peter...you feeling any better?" She's almost scared to ask him as his nerves are so fried he might just combust. 

"Yeah...fine thank you." He's not even convinced himself. 

Ned has started garbling about Christmas and the holidays, repeatedly smiling reassuringly at Peter, when Cindy passes their table. She gives Michelle a beaming grin, before her features tense excitedly as if she's just remembered something important.

"Did you guys hear?" She questions. "It was on the news...they just issued an arrest warrant for Spider-Man!"

Michelle blinks at Cindy and turns around to gauge her friends reactions. Peter however, has disappeared. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming up, Peter's side of the story.


	3. Disaster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter recalls the events that get him into trouble.

**_Peter_ **

It had all started with the suit. You'd be forgiven for expecting that multi-million dollar Stark tech would be able to withstand a New York winter. The cold had never bothered him on regular patrols; whilst the rest of the city was freezing, he'd be enjoying the self-heaters warmth like a Caribbean summer. Peter knew now never to underestimate a New York winter. 

It was Parker luck, of course, that as he stood, knee deep in snow on top of the tallest apartment block in Queens, that the heater would suddenly break. 

-

"Dude, just call Mr. Stark!"

Ned moans, looking at Peter with soft sympathetic eyes. It's now three days since his suit started to malfunction and although he hates to admit it, its taking his toll. He'd been able to withstand the cold for the first night of patrol, but by the second he was positively frozen, his limbs frosted in their place. So after a third night of trudging the streets in only a skin tight onesie, he'd woken up to find his entire body was flushed with an malicious chill, that's left his nose streaming and his chest aching with every breath. 

"No way!" Peter chatters back, his jaw trembling as they make their way to lunch,"Then he'll have to take the suit from me and I can't go on patrol!" 

Ned just shakes his head and marches off into the Cafeteria, leaving Peter shivering in his path. 

When they slide onto their usual table, Michelle is already sitting there, nose deep in her book. Peter takes a second to marvel at the way her wavy hair is being tousled by the hot breeze from the radiator, framing her with a momentary angelic quality. Then his eyes meet her own and he pulls his gaze away quickly, thankful that he's probably too cold for his cheeks to flush. He needs to snap out of this stupid infatuation before it drives him insane. 

It's funny for Peter to recall that, just a few months ago, he would have used his alter-ego to sweep his crush off their feet in an instant. Something doesn't rest right with him anymore about it anymore; behind the mask he's just plain old Peter Parker and it's not fair to fool Michelle into falling for something he's not. Besides, MJ is a completely different story. Michelle, by no means needs saving. She's completely her own hero, with no need nor place for Peter. 

"Peter!" He actually jumps out of his seat. Michelle is staring intently at him. Oh God. Why does he feel the need to constantly humiliate himself in front of her?

"What's wrong with you?"

Ned thumps him roughly and he jumps again, this time feeling his cheeks prickle a soft pink. 

"Yeah! Sure... I'm doing amazing." He inwardly cringes, realising that he's now sacrificed any shred of dignity.

"Thank you, Michelle." 

MJ. She likes to be called MJ. 

"You don't look fine." This may be the longest conversation they've ever had. Could she actually want to talk to him? Then he's hit with the realisation that he actually needs to respond to her and spouts some nonsense about the AC breaking in their appartment. Jesus, he's such a bad liar. As if Aunt May would let him sleep in a cold apartment.

-

 It's later that night when Peter really starts to worry. He got caught up in an armed robbery all the way on the other side of Queens and now he's still a few blocks from home and he's absolutely trembling. Opposed by only one woman with a pocket knife, he should have been able to apprehend her in seconds but by the time he'd pinned her to the wall his breath was heaving out of him, one hand resting against the wall in attempt to gain composure. 

So now he's lounging on top of an apartment building, blinking up at the stars, until he can gather the strength to stumble back to Aunt May and unsurprisingly, he's thinking about MJ. He'd realised he liked MJ when he'd started to notice too much when she wasn't there. He'd catch himself glancing anxiously around the cafeteria searching for her, like some stupid lovesick puppy. That's the thing, this whole thing was stupid! No matter how much he pined after her, she was just too good. 

He's jolted out of his pondering by nothing short of a shock. A strange prickling sensation washes over him, as if thousands of tiny needles are prying into his skin. 

"Ahh!" He springs to his feet and in a second it's over. What the hell? Did the suit just electrocute him? 

A frightened shriek yanks him from his train of thought however and in seconds, he's struggling down the side of the building and dashing towards the cry. 

By the time he arrives at the scene, the perp is dashing away from him, hands gripping the duffle bag of cash he's just swiped from a nearby convenience store. Mustering all his strength and will, he powers after the man and finally springs in front of him as they reach the intersection. 

"Dude, just hand the money over." Peter is begging at this point, for he's so cold and weak he might just collapse. Gritting his teeth, he fires his webbing, catching the guys hands and feet in his grip. 

What happens next is nothing short of horrifying. He feels the suit once again prickle and there's some kind of electronic crack. Jagged blue light - electricity, spindles down the webbing, illuminating the street and the criminal is spasming, a look of terror painted on him as he faces Peter. Then he's on the floor, his limp form crippled and lifeless. Peter feels his stomach drop a thousand stories and he eventually collapses to his knees in horror, barely able to comprehend what has just happened. 

Seconds later, there are flashes of red and blue and sirens pierce the air, burning his ears. He tries to crawl to the man, help him in any way he can but he's shouted back by somebody - a cop, running towards him. Reds and blues are melting together and all he can see is panic. Through the mess, he shoots his webbing at the corner of a building and zips through the lights and the sounds. Far far away from the man he's just electrocuted. 

- 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next, Aunt May to the rescue!


	4. Saviors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> May and MJ offer a helping hand.

"May!!"

Peter crashes through his bedroom window and rips off his mask, collapsing to the floorboards. He'd been so cold but now he feels as if his skin were on fire, burning with every moment the suit lingers on his body. Clawing wildly at the fabric, he barely registers Aunt May bursting into his room.

"Peter-" May pauses momentarily, a look of panic in her eyes, then kneels gently in front of her nephew. His whole body is tremblingand his cheeks are damp where hot tears have moistened the skin under his mask.

"Peter!" She holds him firmly by the shoulders, shuddering at how dreadfully cold his skin is under the suit. "You're okay...you're okay! Now tell me what happened."

That's when he kind of loses it. Seconds later he's sobbing into May's chest, as she rocks him steadily in her powerful grip. 

"I did something really bad, May"

 

-

On Friday, Peter finally drags himself out of the bed he's been cocooned in for the past three days. He'd slept most of Tuesday, though restlessly, burning up with a considerable fever as Aunt May watched over him. Spilling everything to her that day, the horrors cascading out of him like word vomit in some retched attempt to cleanse his conscious but it was no use. He'd done something truly bad, for the first time in his life and it wasan awful feeling. On Wednesday, Peter had managed to pad into the living room, only to be chased back under his duvet after catching sight of his own face - well mask - on the 9 AM news. Thursday is the day MJ texts. Peter sits cross legged in his PJ's, staring at the text on his screen. 

 

'Get well soon dweeb' 

 

Michelle really has a way with words.

He can't bring himself to reply to her, instead letting the notification fade away. Ned stops by a few hours later. Or rather, charges. 

 

"Holy shit Peter, do you know how worried I was?" Ned yanks the quilt off of him, his expression half angry, half relieved. 

"Mmm sorry." Peter bows his head so Ned can't see the pain in his eyes. 

"Pete-eeeeeeeer" Ned moans kneeling down next to him. "This was not your fault okay, I know that...May knows it! "

Peter shrugs morosely and Ned rolls his eyes.  

"That's not the point the Ned, everybody thinks I attacked that man on purpose."

"Come on Peter!" Suddenly Ned has his hands on Peters shoulders. "What would Spider-Man do?"

"Spider-Man...I did something awful Ned! I knew the suit wasn't working and I let that poor guy pay the price for my own stupid mistake!" He's finally hit melting point, his self-loathing peaking so that a putrid furiosity simmers over him. However, Ned only grips him harder, steadying Peter so that his emotions can't overwhelm him. 

"Okay Peter, you're right. Sure _Spider-Man_ did something he shouldn't have but...Peter Parker...Peter was trying to do what was right. And I know that he would never let his reputation stop him from doing some good."

As Ned's words roll over him, he splits into a shy almost smile, blinking down at his Iron Man duvet to cover the tears in his eyes. Ned is right - one poor decision can't stop him from helping people, after all it's the least he can do!

"So Peter... what are you gonna do?"

"I'm...I'm going to do some good." 

Peter really does have an awesome best friend. 

-

"Did you guys hear? It was on the news...they just issued an arrest warrant for Spider-Man!"

Peter’s knuckles pulse white as he grips his chair, as if to catch himself from falling straight through the laminate flooring. Every single sound has been magnified one hundred percent, each voice clawing at his ear drums and setting his nerves alight. For a second, his eyes rest upon Ned and MJ, yet all that remains of them are blurred silhouettes as a hot panic flushes over him, leaving him to stagger blindly from the room.

An arrest warrant. Somehow the possibility had never crossed his mind. How could he have been so blind? Ned's word has fooled him until a state that almost resembled hope, that he could possibly go back to being Spider-Man.

Oh god… what would May do if he were arrested? He couldn’t leave her behind, she’d lost so many people already. The image of his aunt's face, eclipsed behind metal bars lingers before his eyes momentarily and he clambers down the hall,  towards a row of lockers, letting his back slither down the metal as he drops from his feet. No…no…he could fix this! He’d just have to stop patrolling for a while…take a break from Spider-Man. But what if they never recalled the arrest warrant? What if something in like Washington happened again and he wasn’t there to help? Come on Peter, you can sort this…you can…

“Peter?”

Michelle’s smooth voice is like a beacon in heavy fog. In less than a moment, his panicked haze has dissipated, leaving the image of reality to slip back into view. She’s staring down at him with a look not of morbid fascination but genuine worry, her lips pouted and her brow creased. MJ isn’t the only person around in the corridor. As student pass by on their way to lunch, they cast curious looks. Peter’s cheeks purple and MJ moves closer to him, as if to shield him from the crowd of onlookers.

“You okay, Peter?”

Accepting his absence of words as an answer, she surveys him with a careful analysis and finally, stretches out her hand. 

“Come on Parker.”

Allowing her to guide him from the floor and towards the exit of the building, Peter isn’t even aware of how moist his palm is in her fluent fingers. Rather, he is thankful, for the first true calm he’s experienced in days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming up, Michelle begins to scrape away Peter's secret.


	5. Forgiveness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and MJ bond and Michelle overhears something interesting.

**_Michelle_**  

She drags him up through the second floor library, to a secluded corner that's masked by towers of thick volumes that no one but she would bother to read. His palm radiates heat in her own - likely, she guesses, the residue of the fever he's been nursing. Letting go of his hand, she drops into a chair and she's sure she catches him frown. He looks like he's got some of his strength back, as he able to ease himself to perch on the windowsill, his face illuminated by winter sunlight.

"No one really comes up here." Michelle finally says, burrowing through the heavy silence that has settled, "You're...good." She's half expecting him to start crying, which really would not be good. He's always been stubbornly brave, so she imagines there's a lot brewing inside of him, ready to seep out at any moment.

Peter is blinking at her stoically, almost helplessly as if he's at a loss of what to do or what to say.

"Thank you." He finally manages. She nods patiently.

"You don't have to talk to me about anything...you know." Peter eyes her carefully. She wonders if Peter knows she's making this up as she goes along but it's not as if she could just leave him shaking on the floor. You have a moral responsibly to do what's right, whether you know how to do it or not. That has nothing to do with her affections. 

She continues. "It's just if you wanted to talk about anything...well I'm here...until last period, I have calculus." At that Peter manages a slight smile and his eyes warm, like pools of melted chocolate.

“I just have some…stuff going on.”

“Like with Spider-Man?” The warmth in Peter’s eyes fizzles out and he raises his eyebrows impossibly high.

“W…What?” He exclaims, feigning cluelessness and Michelle can’t hide her laughter, rolling her eyes.

“With the Stark internship dumbass." It wasn't exactly difficult to connect the dots between Peter's stress and the internship. Peter knew Spider-Man through Tony Stark and typical of Peter to pile other people's worries on his shoulders. Oh god, she must look like such a stalker now.

"Oh right yeah." He lets out a strange sigh of relief, as if he's got away with something that Michelle can't place finger on. She squints at him curiously and then Peter is eying her suspiciously and for a moment, they both hold one another with doubtful glares, mutually aware of some unspoken missing truth. Eventually, she releases him for her intense grip, figuring that Peter wants is her prying into his business. He glances at her for a second, reluctant to divulge what he's thinking then finally drops his gaze down at his palms.

"Yeah...things aren't great with Spider-Man because... he did something bad by accident but now everyone thinks that he did it on purpose so..." He trails off carefully, as if he's said too much already. He speaks with an intimate familiarity, as if the web slingers woes and worries were his very own.

"I don't think he did it on purpose." She blurts out. The revelation has been on the tip of her tongue for days and it's a blessing to get it out into the open. Peter's lip trembles.

"You don't?"

"I think, well, Spider-Man may be not be perfect all the time but, that doesn't mean he's not good. Besides, if we don't forgive other people for their mistakes, how can we expect them to forgive our own, right?" 

Peter audibly sucks in his breath and for a few moments, they hold one another's gaze, held within some profound gravity that neither of them understand. Then the next moment, Peter is turning pink and MJ is far too aware that she's being looking at Peter for too long; examining those emotive eyes that betrayal him.

"I wish everybody else thought like you do." 

Michelle coughs awkwardly and they don't talk about Spider-Man anymore. Instead, the conversation drifts to a satisfying chatter, one absent of weight or worry. They chat for hours about everything and nothing and by the time Michelle leaves for Calculus, they're laughing with a tired joy. She can't help but wish that they'd left the way they came however; with Peter's fingers wrapped around her own.

God damn you, Parker.

-  
Michelle paces her way through Calculus, speeding through her work in a void attempt to speed the class to a close. She's gotten good at drowning out Flash's nonsense, but today she'd just love to knock him off his pedestal. She refrains however, more occupied by a boy in an English class down the hall. So by the time the bell clatters, she's already half way down the hall, boots skidding on the laminate.

She's almost out of the door, when she catches Peter's voice, floating melodically from the boys bathroom. Come on Michelle, do not creep, keep on walking-

"What do you mean this is okay? I messed up so bad! I don't wanna go to jail, please I really don't want to go to jail! ."

At that Michelle stops in her tracks, her curiosity beating her. Why on earth would Peter go to jail? And who could he be talking to? She can just make out the electronic hum of a voice on the other end of the phone. Peter stays silent for a second, then splutters in panic.

"How on earth can I stay calm? It's not that simple Mr Stark!"

Peter is talking to Tony Stark. Her jaw drops slightly and she lets out an involuntary gasp. Peter must have heard her however, as he shushes the billionaire on the other end of the phone in an apologetic manor.

"Look, I'm really really sorry I gotta go!" He ends the call and Michelle hears footsteps, which sends her sliding out of the double doors and into the cold outdoors. Glancing over her shoulder, she expects to see Peter exit the bathroom, yet he's nowhere to be seen. Michelle's curiosity has hit one hundred percent. Whatever mess Peter has got himself into, he's going to need help getting out of it and she's going to help him, whether he likes it or not.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, as always!


	6. Coincidence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter makes a rather stupid mistake.

_**Peter** _

"Hey...Mr. Stark."

He's been dreading this call for days. Peter had only just left his Spanish class, when Tony had called. His heart flutters nervously in his chest as he freezes, suspended with apprehension. He wonders if Tony will be as disappointed in him as he is in his self. Peter's jaw drops however, at Tony's response.

"Jesus kid, I'm sorry. How you holding up?"

"I'm okay, Mr. Stark, what are you-" He's cut off by Tony rambling.

"Thank God, look I know you're probably blaming yourself but this isn't your fault. The suit malfunctioning - that's on me."

Peter nods to himself, a wash of relief pooling over him. Mr. Stark's words are everything - a kind reminder from a usually acid tongue. 

"For the moment, the cops, they're not gonna budge on the arrest warrant. Ever since the accords they've been cracking down on enhanced people- this isn't personal it's political. But I promise you this is going to be okay Peter." 

"What do you mean this is okay? I messed up so bad! I don't wanna go to jail, please I really don't want to go to jail! ." God he feels like an idiot, but he's got to be realistic. His suit doesn't work, so that means he's got no way to patrol and if he does patrol he's going to  get arrested and who knows what could happen after that.

"Kid...kid...Peter! Stay calm-"

"How on earth can I stay calm? It's not that simple Mr Stark!"

"Peter would you stop talking for one second!" Mr. Stark's has dropped into one that's stern and strong, wiping away Peter's impending panic and leaving him to gulp down the phone. "This is what we're going to do okay. I'm going to send you over a new suit. That is not me giving you permission to use it but Jesus - is you're going to patrol at least do it in something that's not going to electrocute you. This may come as a surprise but I'm not stupid enough to think that this will stop you doing your spider business. And as for the arrest warrant, just keep your head down; I've got my lawyers on it. Don't bring anymore planes down any time soon."

Peter is about to respond, when a sharp intake of breath catches his attention. Stammering an awkward apology to Mr. Stark, he peers out of the bathroom door but there's no one around, so he zips around the corner, figuring he just heard something. As he springs away however, he swears he catches the bounce of angelic curly hair, bouncing out of the door way.

-

Peter is not going to patrol. It's completely ludicrous, out of the question and not to mention dangerous. Well, it's out of the question for three more days, when he just has to put on the suit.

It's only meant to be for a few minutes; the generator that heats their apartment has actually broken but Peter is sure he can fix it, that is if he can get into the roof. The only problem is if he wants to get onto the roof, he's going to have to climb. Aunt May immediately slaps down his suggestion.

"Are you kidding me Peter?" She rants at him, whilst rubbing her fingers together to give her some warmth.

"Come on May it'll take minutes and besides, don't you think it'll look more weird if anyone any one see's my climbing up the side of the building not in the suit"

For a moment Peter thinks May is close snapping again, infuriated yet again by her nephew but then she finally relates, huffing loudly and gesturing at her watch.

"You've got five minutes buddy."

He quickly slips on the suit, it's new fabric hugging his frame like a glove and tells Karen to turn on the heater - which feels just wonderful. Dashing back through to May, he smiles at her apologetically before clambering out of the window and scaling the building. He actually manages to fix the generator in minutes, whooping triumphantly when he does and is just about to climb back through the window when a sharp sound tweaks his attention. It starts of as a shrill shriek, then transcends into a panicked yell, that had Peter tense and alert.

"Peter..." May's voice is low and slightly terrifying, so much so that he actually squeaks in response. She's glaring at him out of the window with an expression that's both tiresome and tells Peter she's ready to yank him back inside the apartment.

"May... I'm sorry! You know I have to!" She's already creeping away from the window, unable to turn his back on the scream.

"I want you back in ten minutes!" She groans, perceptive of her hopelessness to change his mind.

"Love you May!" He stutters, swinging away across the street, in search of trouble.

He really doesn't want to test May's patience and worry her more than he has done before. She's been so good about his secret and she does not deserve the anxiety he brings her. So when he's halfway across Queen's over two hours later, he's riddled with guilt. He hadn't intended to stay out that long but it had just been one disaster after another. After he'd rescued the man who'd screamed from muggers, there'd been a car crash, then some guy had tried to rob an ATM and he just couldn't walk away. He just didn't have it in him.

So now he's back to scaling rooftops, having bolted in panic at the sound of a police siren, when a sudden realisation freezes him to the spot. Somehow, he's managed to make it back onto that rooftop , the one that had overlooked the intersection on the night everything had all gone wrong. His stomach jolts and he breaths heavily, glancing mournfully at the scene. Immediately, he's cascaded with a profound sense of sadness, one that is perhaps the reason he doesn't realise he'snot alone. Clear as day, a girl stands stark still across from him, staring alertly from across the rooftop. He's about to wonder what the hell she's doing up there, when he's overcome by the realisation that she's by no mean a stranger.

MJ blinks slowly back at him, her stance defensive. She's wrapped up in her thick winter coat and she's huddled by what looks like a generator. He'd be amused by the coincidence if it wasn't for the fact thatthere is no way on earth MJ doesn't know it's him. She doesn't look at him but straight through him, her eyes surely all seeing.

The subsequent nervousness that pins him down, is probably what trips him into his worst mistake yet. Before he can even register what he's saying, overwhelmed by his crush and the place where the suit had malfunctioned, his lips are betraying him.

"MJ?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming up: unbearable sentimentalities. 
> 
> Thanks for reading as always!


	7. MJ

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter tries to avoid an awkward reveal and Michelle hatches a plan.

“What?” Michelle’s slender figure tenses as she glares back at Peter, her eyebrows raised. He can’t actually believe he’s done this. Peter is so surprised by his own stupidity that he’s actually in a state of shock.

He stumbles back awkwardly, wanting nothing more than to melt back into the skyline but she’s still staring at him; eyes so intelligent and alight that he swears he see’s cogs grinding behind them. Bending his knees, he’s about to bolt when she holds out her hand.

“Hey, dude, stop! I’m not gonna call the cops!” At the sound of her firm reassurance, his muscles relax automatically. The tranquility of her character is so strong that it’s as if their weren’t a single person for a thousand miles but the two of them. “How do you know my name?”

From the tone of her voice, it’s almost as if she already knows the answer, yet she’s testing him, waiting for the right one. Taking in a deep breath, he manages this time not to stutter, but level his voice in an attempt to convince her of the weak truth he’s just spun “You were in Washington, right? I remember you were…uhh… on the news.”

She folds her arms considerately before responding carefully.

“Strange. I wasn’t in the tower?”

He shrugs, feigning confidence.

“No, I’m just…observant.”

At this, she chuckles and Peter utters a strong sigh of relief. Has he actually just managed it? Surely not.

“What are you doing here Spider-boy?” She’s by no means finished. Kicking up her boots as she treads, she moves slowly around him, as if he’s some specimen from a museum. Oh God, is he sweating?

“Oh you know, I’m just hanging about the neighbourhood. Fighting crime.”

She laughs again, not pitifully but joyfully, enthralled with the unlikeliness of the situation. If Peter wasn’t so nervous it would be contagious but he is, so all he can manage is an anxious snort. He is being so embarrassing, he can’t stand it!

“What are you doing here?”

“Fixing this damn generator.” She jibes back, cupping her hands together as her breath flumes out in a breath of steam. “Well I was, you interrupted me.”

Wow, Michelle is so cool. He’s quite glad he’s wearing the mask so she can’t see him blushing. She’s wearing a jade green corduroy jacket over pyjama pants that crop above her ankles, leaving the bare bronze of her long legs exposed. Her hair too, is fluffy and unkempt, cascading past her shoulders as if she’s just crawled out of bed. Yet, in all her dysfunctional costume, she looks absolutely breathtaking. A comfortable silence he fallen upon the rooftop, as they examine one another, which is only broken when MJ furrows her brow, her lips parted.

“You know, I saw what happened, with that robber.” A cold realisation slithers through Peter, as the pieces fold together in his mind. Her words from earlier today make so much more sense now, she’d seen what had happened first hand. “I know it wasn’t your fault.”

“I know you do. Thank you.” He surprises even himself with the intimacy in his voice. That’s all that needs to be said, for their bound in an unspoken understanding. Peter knows she can tell he doesn’t want to talk about it and it’s kind of amazing.

Peter helps her to fix the generator, or more accurately, she orders him around whilst she works fiddles with the technical stuff. As her fingers move intelligently, they chat awkwardly with a kind of familiarity, that's not one sided in the slightest. Before he knows it, he’s back to garbling as if they were sitting at their lunch table and it was Peter standing their - not Spider-Man. He’s so possessed by his own lack of composure, that he jumps when Michelle snaps her head to the side, her lips parting alertly.

“Shhhhh.” Her unease is startlingly alien. “Listen.”

It starts of barely a whisper; a high pitched whimper that dissolves into the shriek of police sirens.

“You should go!” Michelle’s words are somewhere between a question and a demand, for she’s blinking at him uncertainly.

“Nah I’m sure it’s fine!” He gloats, feigning confidence. After all, if Peter can’t make Michelle think he’s cool, he can’t miss the opportunity to prove Spider- Man is. “I’m undetectable, lightning fast -“

“Get down!” Next thing Peter knows, Michelle is shoving him to the ground, her weight powering him down onto the roof top. As his face smacks the ground, he catches sight of a dozen or so lined figures - police officers, poising their guns straight in their directions, standing on the rooftop across from them. Damn it! Someone must have spotted him and called the cops. Somewhere beneath them too, as Peter and MJ crawl for cover behind the generator, the sound of heavy footsteps boom as at least a dozen more officers are making their way climbing up to the rooftop.

“I am so sorry!” His first instinct is to look apologetically at MJ, who’s huffing. He’s done it again - dragging his friend into something that could get them hurt.

“That doesn’t matter!” Her expression is calculating, as if her brain is processing algorithms of what to do. “Go!”

Peter listens properly this time. Pelting away at top speed, he dives from the rooftop, zipping away faster than he thinks he’s ever done before.

-  
_Michelle_

It’s times that MJ thinks, really? Sure, her encounter with Spider-Man could just be a coincidence but this was just plain shady. Twice? It sounded far too good to be true.

She’s slumped down in an uncomfortable metal chair, knee’s bouncing as she waits anxiously. She’d been escorted quickly from the rooftop down the fire escape and put straight into a police car. God knows what had happened to Spider-Man.

She’s absolutely furious with herself. She should have gotten herself the hell off that rooftop as soon as Spider-Man had shown up. It’s his fault she’s sitting in a police precinct, waiting for her mom to go absolutely insane.

Except, that’s not what she feels at all. It’s not his fault at all. It was her choice to choose his side.

Then there’s this feeling that she just can’t shake. Could it not be so inconceivable that… they’ve met before? There’s something about his mannerisms; the way he springs with every steps and he couldn’t stop looking at his feet. In fact, she’s almost sure of the fact that if she saw him again, she may just know who he was. That too, is slightly terrifying in itself.

When her Mom finally get’s there, she’s convinced she’s going to kill her. She breezes in like a hurricane, hands on her hips and an incredulous look on her face.

“Are you kidding me, Michelle?” Something falls in MJ’s chest. “In my own precinct?”

Because if Michelle hasn’t mentioned, her Mom is the captain of this precinct, which makes everything about one thousand times worse.

“Mom, I can explain!” She knows her mom will hear her out. She knows better than anyone that the law isn’t always the right soon. Yet she still feels so guilty, embarrassing her Mom at work like this, it’s the last thing she needs.

“You’ve got five minutes.”

It turns out her Mom isn’t actually that mad at her. She’s just incredibly concerned and Michelle can’t blame her.

“Look, I know you can handle yourself MJ but you need to stay away from Spider-Man. I don’t agree with the arrest warrant either but for now, just stay out the way.”

“I will.” Michelle wishes she could put a promise on it.

“Between you and me.” Her mom scoots close to her, so that her voice is barely audible. “My superiors are going to very extreme lengths to get this guy and you will not get caught in the crossfire.”

“What kind of length?” She fires back but her Mom gives her that look that shuts her up fine. It's given her an idea. If she can find out their plan, maybe she can get to Spider-Man before the police can. Just maybe. 

- 

So naturally, her first step when she's arrives at school the next day, is to search for the one person who might be able to get her to Spider-Man. It's no secret about what happened last night. Thanks to Midtown's infamous gossip circuit, MJ is now notorious for being arrested for helping Spider-Man. How do people even find out this stuff? 

Regardless however, she homes in on him like a beacon, parting the crowds with a single glare. He's stood by his locker with Ned - not that she knows which locker is his or anything, that would be weird. 

"Hello Parker." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took so long! I've been ill for ages but at least it's finally here. Thank you as always.


	8. A Good Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and MJ talk.

“ Look, I’m sorry MJ, I want to help you, but this is a really bad idea.”

Peter flashes her a nervous smile, warmth spreading into his features. His eyes are kind of puffy, as if he’s just crawled out of bed despite it being lunch and his hair is untamed, revealing an invasive natural curl that flatters him immensely. Come on MJ, focus.

Her proposal earlier had not gone well in the slightest. She’d told him her plan; all he had to do was arrange a meeting between her and Spider-Man, that way, they he could find out everything the NYPD were planning and hopefully, he wouldn’t end up with a bullet inside him. Yet Peter was having none of it. He’d been even weirder than usual, spouting some garbage about the Stark Internship and not even knowing Spider-Man that well, before tripping off to class. It’s infuriating - knowing she can do something to help and him not even giving the chance. So now she’s cornered him in the library, where he’s hiding behind a copy of Charlotte’s Web, sinking into a bean bag chair.

“Peter come on! This is all I need from you, I won’t bother you again.”

His bottom lip quivers at that and he shakes his head profusely.

“You’re not bothering me! You never bother me…” He replies, rather quickly, tailing off towards the end as if he’s said too much.

“Then why won’t you hear me out?”

Peter looks at her sadly and sighs, his head resting on his hand.

“There are so many things that could go wrong MJ, trust me you don’t want to get involved in this guy.” She would have found his protectiveness sweet, if it wasn’t horrifically patronising and totally stupid. “And I can’t ask you to get involved with the police!”

“That is not your decision to make, Peter!”

“I don’t want you to get hurt MJ!” He actually looks angry, like really mad. It’s so foreign on his features that her stomach twinges slightly. She doesn’t understand where this protectiveness has come from, he doesn’t care about her, it makes no sense.

“Don’t you understand I’m doing this for you!” She regrets the words as soon as they slip out and her cheeks scorch at the humiliation of her outburst. She never lets her emotions slip somehow manages to have her tethered like a fish on a hook and spinning out of control. She hates feeling like this, she loathes being absolutely infatuated with someone she knows couldn’t care less and she hates Peter Parker.

“What?” Peter looks completely dumbfounded.

She’s so far deep now, that she literally cannot stop herself.

“Come on Peter, you’ve been a mess since this whole Spider-Man thing started.” His hard face softens and she blinks down, angrily “So I’m sorry for trying to fix the problem.”

Peter looks as if he’s about to burst with sorrow.

“I’m sorry.” It doesn’t feel empty, to her surprise. “I didn’t know…”

“That I cared?” She reaches deep within herself to draw out a smile. “Yeah, don’t tell anyone but I can actually do that.”

Peter furrows his brow, just for a second, then gazes up at her, his eyes full of light.

“I’ll help you.”

-

_Peter_

“Dude! What the hell are you doing?” Sometimes Peter wishes he had Ned on his shoulder, to warn him when he’s making an incredibly stupid decision. Like right now.

“I didn’t have a choice, okay?”

They’re wandering back from school, hands stuffed in pockets and breath vaporising in the chilled air. He’s just told Ned about earlier with MJ, which so far hasn’t done much except remind Peter of his extraordinarily idiotic nature.

“Of course you had a choice! And that choice was no! No I can’t set you up a meeting with Spider-Man because I am freaking Spider-Man.”

He shushes Ned, drawing closer towards him.

“Yeah but…it’s MJ…” He manages morosely. He’s definitely given himself away now, for Ned is scoffing at him incredulously.

“No way.”

“Ned.”

“You like MJ!” To be honest, he's surprised it's taken this long for Ned to work it out. He's not exactly great at hiding his emotions. 

“Stop it.”

“You’re not denying it.”

“I’m not confirming it.”

“You’re doing this because you like her.”

“No, no…It’s just, she cares about Spider-Man Ned, like as if he’s an actual person. And…I think she might care about me too.” Their exchange in the library earlier had left him feeling as if he'd been split in two. She surprised him with every moment of kindness, as each one he did not deserve. Too, was he consumed by some irrational anger, that he didn't even know he had in him, that he couldn't keep her out of harm's way. It's not as if MJ can't look after herself, she's brilliantly terrifying after all but he can't cause her pain she doesn't deserve. 

Ned sighs and his expression twists into one of momentary annoyance. Then its twisting back again to an exhausted smile, as the lines at the corner of his eyes crease.

“We’re gonna need a really good plan.”


	9. Meet Spider-Man! Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MJ comes over to Peter's apartment to meet Spider-Man.

“Pete, are you…sweating?” May has her hands on his shoulders, an eyebrow raised on her puzzled face. She's intercepted him pacing up and down the living room, the creak of his weight on the floorboards finally running away with her patience.

“No…yes. Is it noticeable?” It’s kind of exhausting being a human disaster.

Peter isn’t just nervous, he’s terrified. God, he’s going to mess this up. MJ has actually agreed to come over, like she’s going to be here, in his apartment, where he lives. It’s all part of the plan of course, which Ned proclaims is foolproof. It’s not as if she’s…coming over. So why does he feel like he’s about to explode? Weird.

May grins at him, with that horribly adult look that makes him feel like he’s five years old.

“Peter, relax okay, breathe with me. It is perfectly natural…when you like a girl, with these changes in your body-“

“No, please May no!” Peter screams. He really wants to melt into the carpet right now. All he’s told Aunt May is that he’s having a friend over and already she’s made it her one woman mission to meddle in his love life, if he can even call it that.

“Pete, you’ve got nothing to worry about. You’re a wonderful human being. Now go take a shower.”

The sad thing is, he kind of wishes MJ coming over was what Aunt May is bigging it up to be.

Before he gets in the shower, he checks his phone to see Ned’s name flashing on the screen.

‘Go get her buddy!’

God damn it Ned. Their plan is pretty straight forward; Peter will take MJ out onto the fire escape, then Ned will come over and tell Peter there’s some kind of emergency, then Ned can distract MJ long enough to change into the suit and show up on the fire escape.

He jumps in the shower quickly and it’s almost as if the stress is washing off him. He’s being ridiculous. He’s climbed the Washington Monument for goodness sake! This should be nothing. Yet it’s sometimes hard to realise that when MJ feels like everything.

After that, it's a race to dig out a clean shirt, in a fruitless attempt to make himself look half decent. Throwing on his bathrobe, which is dashed in a rubber duck pattern, he pads out of his room and into the living room.

“Hey Parker”

Of course, MJ is sitting on his sofa. This is not how this was supposed to go! He can feel his cheeks blushing beetroot red.

“I like your bathrobe.”

He tries to laugh, as May flashes him an apologetic look but it comes out all thick and weird and he cringes internally. Has it always been so warm in here?

“Peter, go get dressed, MJ you want something to eat?”

God bless May for coordinating his him, because he’s pretty sure he’s forgotten how to speak. When he’s finally recovered well enough, this time dressed in his regular jumper and jeans, to leave his bedroom again, MJ’s sitting carefully on the sofa, knees pressed tightly together. He manages a smile and she nods back. She’s winding a corkscrew of hair around her slim finger and it’s somehow strange to catch her lapsing absolute concentration.

“Your aunt left, she went to her yoga class.” MJ says, as if nothing on other could hold greater gravity. Maybe it's just him, but everything she says seems so…important. Even when she’s saying it eating toast. May must have made it for her before she abandoned him.

“You want something to drink with that?” Peter teases, well he’s at least trying. MJ glares at him, crunching another bite. Abort mission. Swallowing, she raises both eyebrows, then flashes him a sweet smile. Peter meanwhile suppresses a sigh; even though she’s trying to be sarcastic, she still looks really…really pretty. Illuminated by the soft glow of the overhead lamp, her skin adopts a supernatural quality, glowing golden brown.

“Yeah I’d love something to drink.”

Peter let's MJ out onto the fire escape and he sets out making her drink. As he fumbles about the kitchen, Peter glimpses out of the window, to watch MJ, perch herself on the window ledge, long legs bent out in front of her. And in that quick glimpse, he swears he catches her lips spread into a small smile.

“Hot cocoa!” He grins, hopping through the window and onto the fire escape. It’s the warmest nights in weeks, thankfully, but even still, the cold tingles his nose. MJ must be cold too, as she hurriedly takes the mug from him, wrapping her fingertips around the china.

“Thank you, Peter, for this, seriously thank you.” She’s smiling up at him, speaking again with a really profound importance.

“It’s fine! It’s only instant cocoa.”

“No dumbass!” MJ throws her head back, curls bouncing wildly and lets out a warm laugh, before resting her head on her knees. “For letting me meet Spider-Man, it’s a really cool thing to do.”

“It’s okay.” Peter gives her a shy half smile.

“Have you ever met him?” She asks, lifting her eyes meeting his own.

“Oh…uh…just a couple of times. Why? Do you like him?” He can’t help himself but ask.

“Well, spandex isn’t really my go to.” MJ counters.

“Yes but he probably doesn’t wear that all the time.”

For a moment, MJ pauses in consideration, then bites her lip.

“I think I know who Spider-Man is.”

“What?!” Peter audibly gasps, his stomach dropping what feels like a thousand stories. He's not ready for her to know, that would change everything and he's so badly wants to hold on to what he's got. 

“”Well not, exactly… I just think that if I saw him again, I’d know. Well that’s only slightly less of a massive problem.

“You’ve met him before?” He asks, a chill running down his spine as he’s reminded of how deep he is in his own lies. It’s bizarre too, pretending he wasn’t there, when it’s all he’s thought about for the last few days.

“Twice.”

“And what do you think of him?” He tries to drop in to to the conversation casually, but it must sound he’s some kind of super-fan, because Michelle narrows her eyes, suspiciously.

“Oh, I’m in love with him.” She declares confidently, staring at him intensely. 

“Really?!”

“No.”

Dammit. Her expression is suspended between somewhere between disbelief and amusement. Then she's giggling, making a sound Peter didn't even think she was capable of. It's melodious and rich was joy and when Peter smiles at her, she scowles jokily. "Speaking of, isn't Spider-Man supposed to be making an appearance?"

That's when his heart kind of sinks. He's slipped into that false hope again, of fooling himself into thinking this is anything more than just a way to solve a problem. Actually, now she mentions is it, Ned should definitely be here by now. 

"He...said he'd be here." Peter grins, nervously. Michelle gazes directly at him and for a moment, it's almost as if she knows exactly what he's up to. Then she gives him a small nod and leans her head against the exposed brick, an unplaceable look on her face. 

Sliding out his phone, he bites his tongue between his teeth and texts Ned quickly. 

_'Where r u????'_

"Is everything okay, Peter?" She blinking at him, with an anxious look on her face. If Ned doesn't show up, then he can't leave MJ, so he can't put on the suit. 

So when forty minutes later, Ned still hasn't shown up, it's pretty clear the situation is going south. 

MJ's been deadly silent for a while, eyes only on her boots. He's desperate to say something - anything to clear the unspoken tension that's settled, but he can't quite find the words. Finally, after what feels like hours, she stands abruptly and clambers swiftly back through the window and into the apartment. 

"MJ? Where are you going?" He blurts out, springing through after her, his face falling. Her expression looks cold and the darkness in her eyes is clear as day - the grim shadow of hurt. 

"You didn't have to lie." Her words are ice cold and his gut lurches. The guilt seeping into his face must be plain to see because her lips tighten, as her jaw locks. "He's not coming is he?" 

_To be continued..._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be continued... 
> 
> Thank you for all your lovely comments.


	10. Meet Spider-Man! Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter tries to fix things with the help of everyone's friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man.

"No no no... I...ah...of course he's coming!" He's grasping so hard for MJ, watching in horror as before his eyes, every layer of trust they've built quickly dissolves away before him. He knows exactly what this looks like. It's inconceivable to believe that he can throw this trail of deception behind him forever, without it coming back to ruin him. In fact, he's never wanted to tell her his secret so badly. 

It's been brewing slowly over the last few weeks. This fantastic image of her seeing every part of him, of not having to lie, of her knowing he's Spider-Man.  But his fear is far too strong for that; her horrified expression, as he pulls of his mask is something he never wants to see. So instead, he's standing there like a coward, desperately trying to convince the girl he likes that he's not a total asshole. 

MJ reaches for her backpack and strides over to the door, barely even looking at him now. She reaches out for the door handle, then her slender fingers falter and she straightens, before turning to face him, her face stoic. 

"Was this some kind of joke, Peter?" Something inside of him cracks. His lip trembles as his gut lurches. She really thinks he's playing some sinister prank to mess with her. 

"No! I swear it's not I can explain!" He splutters but MJ is unmoved. She looks exactly like the Michelle who he knew a few months ago and he know's after today that's exactly what they'll be, merely acquaintances, right back to where they started. That is unless he has a very good explanation. 

"Tell me then Peter! Explain!" Her voice has taken on a strained high pitch tone, that whilst, keeping her voice quiet, oozes frustration. 

The explanation is on the tip of his tongue, yet he just can't let it out. Instead he stands there, stupidly, with nothing to say that will win her round. For a moment, he holds her, both frozen in time. Then she's reaching again for the door handle and far, far away from him. Thing is, he's not ready yet to let her go. 

As her fingers move away, he grips them tightly, taking her hand in his own. The air between feels like it's on fire and he lets out this shuddered breath, as the hair of his arms stands upright. 

"I really want to tell you MJ, I want to tell you so so badly, but I can't and if you knew, you'd be in so much danger."

MJ's eyes flash mistily from her fingers in his grip, then to his brazen face and back again but she's still in his hold. 

"I really hope there's a good reason Peter but it can't be like this anymore." The corners of her lips droop downwards. "I think it's better if I do this by myself."

"MJ, wait!"

"I gotta a train to catch." And she snaps her fingers out of his palm, slipping, almost ghost like from the apartment. For a few moments, he just stands there, the overwhelming sensation of loss rooting him to the spot. Then he's charging erratically into his room and diving into his backpack, to wrench the suit out. The hell is he giving up on this. Just as he smooths the suit tight to his body, his phone vibrates and Ned's face flashes onto the screen.

 _"NED!"_ Peter yells down the phone, not even hiding the fact that he's one giant hot mess.

_"Peter! Shit I'm so sorry. Mom was driving me here from the dentist and her car got rear ended and we were  all the way across town and my phone died and -"_

_"Ned! No Ned it's fine. Is your Mom okay?"_ Peter can't quite believe they're having this conversation. 

_"Oh yeah sure she's fine. What about MJ?"_

_"She left and she thinks I'm playing some awful joke and I'm pretty sure she's never going to speak to me again but... I've got an idea."_

_-_

_Michelle_

"What are you hiding Peter Parker?" Michelle mumbles into her hand, huddling further into the bench. Even though she's alone in the train station, her gaze flickers to the entrances every few moments, as if expecting him to walk through the door. Yet she remains completely alone, accompanied only by the occasional rattle of a train pacing in the other direction. 

All she had wanted to do was understand. Maybe it was some stupid game. Or maybe he just wasn't ready to let her in. Either way, she's not going to let him make her feel this, crap anymore. It's like someone's taking every one of her emotions and shoving them into a tumble drier. Really, she's just too damn tired for this. 

The sky is incredibly clear tonight, stars illuminated against a background of black velvet, so she lets her mind melt out of focus, eyes glued to the portrait. Above her, a crain reaches out it's slender arm and over the roof of the shelter she's huddled in, swaying ever so slightly in the winter breeze. She's so enthralled in fact, that she doesn't notice a masked figure, drifting over to meet her. 

"Is this seat taken?" It's Spider-Man. He's just standing there, in  some random subway station in Queen's, blinking down at her through that ridiculous mask as if they're on the morning commute to the City. So Peter wasn't lying after all. She manages a gulp and a nod and he sits down beside, far away enough that she can see every part of him.

"I'm really sorry I took so long, I didn't mean to make you think I wasn't coming."

"No, no, it's cool, I mean you're probably super busy." She's trying to pretend she hasn't been upset, but the red of her eyes is definitely betraying her. "God, Peter probably thinks I'm such an asshole."

"No! He doesn't!" MJ raises an eyebrow. Maybe Peter and Spider-Man are just closer than he thought. "I mean, from what I hear, you've gone above and beyond to help both of us. You don't have anything to apologise for."

"Who said anything about apologising?" She teases. Spider-Man lets out a nervous laugh and she smiles, relieved to know everything isn't so dreadful afterall. "God, I don't know what's got into me lately, I just, you don't want to hear about this-"

"No! No of course I do." He remarks, "I'm not always you're friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man you know, underneath the suit I'm just a regular...teen." 

Wow, Spider-Man is kinda weird. 

How is this real?  She's really about to divulge her failing love life to Spider-Man. Oh well, it's not the worst decision she's made this week. 

"Well...I...uhh, I just don't know how to..." Already her cheeks are purpling and she looks down at her lap, trying to push down her embarrassment. " I just have this stupid, stupid crush and I'm not going particularly well... God what am I say, ignore me! You came here to talk about the cops, not for me to humiliate myself any further..." She trails off, knowing full well she's descended into a mindless stuper. 

Spider-Man chuckles and nods. "Okay, what do you know?" 

Relieved to find a distraction from the mess of feelings that are swelling inside of her, she rushes into her explanation. She tells him everything about her Mom being a police captain and her sinister superiors intentions. 

"It's not good enough for them to catch you, they want to reveal your identity to the public, to set an example to the Avengers, to everyone. Apparently they're using some kind of new technology too, I don't know what, but whatever it is, the neighbouring precinct just got a huge shipment."

MJ bites her lip as he physically shudders, taking on the bad news she's just launched at him. 

"Good thing is, my Mom says they're getting a massive delivery in a few days. So at least then, maybe I can convince her to tell me what it is."

"How come your Mom is telling you all this? Couldn't she get into trouble?" MJ half smiles at his innocence. Of all things, he's concerned about her Mom getting fired, never mind his own life being at risk. 

"You'd be surprised how many people are on your side, Spidey, even within the police, a lot of people think going after you is wrong." 

Spider-Dude lets out this sort of strangled awkward grunt and she just hums in response, letting quiet settle. That is until, he suddenly bolts uprights, head darting from side to side. His body is tense and angled and she jumps when his head snaps back towards her. 

"I think there's someone here." 

Freezing, MJ listens as hard as she can and sure enough she's greeted by the faintest rumble of boots on concrete and the distant crackle of a radio. 

"Considering what you've just told me, I think it's a good idea to get the hell out of here." He manages to keep a calmness in his voice, yet she can tell something bad is about to happen. MJ swears she catches the moan of a siren. Police. 

"Agreed. What the hell do we do? They'll have covered all the exits!" She stands quickly and moves close to him, her eyes wide with an inevitable fear. 

Spidey stares at her a few seconds, then upwards, towards the star lit sky. The sky that's currently obscured by the arm of a crane. 

"No. Way." But she already knows she's not really got a choice. 

"MJ, I'm really sorry but we're gonna have to go for a ride."

Spider-Man points out his wrist and sprays her with a web that yanks their bodies close to one another. Next thing she knows, he's binding them together with strings of web fluid, that almost resembles a harness, pinning them so tightly together there's not even an inch between them. 

"Don't look down!" 

As he points his wrist towards the sky, booming cries echo through the station as dozens of armed police officers materialise onto the platform. She's barely able to catch her feet lift off the ground as in seconds, they're zooming upwards through the air, the spray of bullets rattling the night sky. Not daring to look down, MJ buries her face into his shoulder, as they swing off through the city, familiar streets delving into darkness. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually loved writing this chapter! What do you think will happen next? Thanks for reading, as always.


	11. So Close

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MJ and Peter try to begin a new chapter, when Peter gets some bad news.

_Peter_

They come to a stop in a dingy secluded alleyway, not far from her apartment. Firing his web at an overhanging fire escape, he lowers them carefully to the ground, his skin tingling with the pressure of her fingers on his spine.  As MJ's feet touch the floor, he presses his hand against the small of her back and she slides her hands onto his shoulders, her breath clouding in the clipped cold. He wonders if she can feel his heart spasming in his chest, for it's thumping pervades his entire body, right down to his finger tips. 

"Are you okay?" He asks, his words drifting out slowly. He's barely aware of his own breathlessness, totally consumed by her, as he rubs thigh absentminded. There's a throbbing in his left leg - perhaps just a scrape from a bullet fragment, but it's nothing he can't manage.

"I'm good. Are you good?" She replies, her voice slow, oozing from between her lips like treacle. She drops her gaze to where he's holding his thigh and her brow tenses. "You didn't get shot did you?!"

"No, no, I mean I don't think so!" He laughs, as the pain dissipates. The corners of her lips twinge with an incredulous smile and much to his disdain, she pulls away from him, the slithers of web fluid unwinding. 

"I should call Peter."

Warmth stirs in the pit of his stomach and he nods, forgetting she can't see him smile as he glances at the floor. 

"Sure, you want me to take you home?" 

"No!" She snaps, much to quickly. "I mean, whenever we're together you tend to get shot at so...I think I'll take my chances."

MJ laughs and wrapping her arms around herself, puffs out her cheeks. Then, as stillness descends on the alley, she once again moves carefully towards him, lips parted slightly. To his surprise, she only stops when their faces are inches apart. 

"Weird."

Peter snorts, only mildly insulted. 

"What?"

"It's just, a few months ago, I would have killed to find out who you are. But now, I don't want to know."

"Why?" He breathes, locked in her eyes and their gooey warmth.

"Because, I'm just hoping you are who I think you are." 

 This is the perfect moment, the air is practically electric between them. It's now or never, come on Peter! He wills himself to speak, to say anything but all that materalises is a gasp in the form of:

"Oh." 

God damn it!

She gives him this smile that's so rich with understanding, that it flips his stomach upside down. Then she's parading back down the alleyway, disappearing into street light. Watching her hair flow behind her as she steps, Peter just stands there aimlessly, transfixed on the space she's left behind. He's so encapsulated in fact, that he barely registers the vibration of his cellphone in his suit. Fishing it out, his face splits into a ridiculous smile as her caller ID illuminated the screen. 

"Hey MJ." 

-

"I swear to God if Penis Parker doesn't get his crap together!"

Peter moans as Flash hurles yet another insult across the hall, slamming his fist on the table. They've been practicing for Academic Decathlon all day and it's been nothing short of disastrous. It's as if his brain has been melted, leaving him to splutter out some nonsensical garbage every time he's thrown a question. Yet somehow, he doesn't care at all. He'd been up last night well into the early hours of the morning on the phone to MJ, talking about everything and nothing and everything in between. Even in moments of silence, the sound her breathing on the other end of the land had his stomach turning to liquid. 

Right now she's off with Mr Harrington sorting out details for their upcoming tournament but he still feels her presence, unable to get her out of his mind. 

"Shut up Flash, Peter's still doing better than you." Cindy bickers back, flashing him a reassuring smile. Maybe MJ has said something to her. No wait, she's too private for that. "Peter, will you go get another stopwatch from the Physics lab?" Ahh, there it is. 

Nodding dopily, he wanders off out of the room, fiddling with the hem of his jumper. So when he almost walks into MJ, he jolts back and flushing profoundly. 

"Hey MJ!" Is he coming off to strong? Probably. 

"Hey Peter." She smiles, blinking down with a nervous blush. She sinks against the windowsill, twiddling her thumbs and he perches upon the window ledge, so that for once he can definitely be taller than her. 

"So, you never said, did you fix everything with Spider-Man?"

"Yeah, I think it's going to work out all right." She grins. Instinctively, he looks back over his shoulder, to where the suit sits in his backpack back in the Debate Hall. MJ follows his glance mischievously. "I'm sorry, am I keeping you?

"No! No, I do not want to go back in there!" He quips, then stutters at her raised eyebrow, "Not that I don't love decathlon, I mean you've done such a good job!"

"Why thanks." She replies. Sometimes he's really grateful she facilitates his awkwardness. "But, I get it, this may come as a surprise but I can think of better people to spend my time with than Flash Thompson." 

"Yeah but you can hold your own against Flash!" Her destruction of Flash is quite something. Last week he'd interrupted Ned to make some snarky comment at Peter and she'd banned him from decathlon for a week. A true icon. 

MJ takes a moment to look at him, then scoffs. "Peter, I think you could more than hold your own against Flash." And when he catches on to what she's talking about, he really does go beetroot red. Taking a few moments to recover, Peter swallows and looks down, then throws back him shoulders, this time determined to say what he means. 

"MJ do you think you'd wanna go out sometime?" Peter's chest goes tight, heart thumping, yet his mind singing with the reality that he's actually said what he means after all this time. For a slither of a second, she's completely stoic and Peter's sure he's made a massive mistake, then her cheeks go pink and she sniffs, looking down at her trainers.

"Sure, Parker."

Yes, yes, yes! He wants to jump up and down so badly, yet the intensity of character has him routed to the spot, completely enchanted by everything about her. He can't take her eyes off her lips, their plump pinkness, which he so badly wants to kiss. It's overpowering in fact, drawing him slowly towards her, chasing the distance between and then-

A screeching ringtone blairs and they snap apart and Peter flushes so hard he goes instantly hot. MJ curses and yanks her phone out of her pocket, chewing on her lip. 

"I have to, erm, take this." Peter nods, not even capable of speaking, as his brain processes what has just occured. He was so close! God damn it. 

He watches as she runs off down the corridor, resting her hand on her hip as she talks into the phone. Within seconds however, her face has melted into an expression of pure distress, which sends an ice white panic straight down his spine. Shivering, she slips the phone back into her pocket, stumbling towards him with a look of dread. 

"Hey!" Peter glides off the ledge and reaches over to steady her shaking frame. "What happened?"

"This is bad, this is so bad." She mumbles, snaking her fingers through untamed hair. 

"MJ?" Something feels so off about this. She's normally so headstrong and collected but now it's as if she's coming apart at the seams.

"My Mom just called. The precinct just got their shipment of special tech in to deal with Spider-Man and it was full of tracking beacons." He can't quite fit the pieces together and he blinks cluelessly at MJ, who frowns in frustration. "Those beacons can be fired at a distance up to 50ft." 

That's when it all becomes clear and the school starts to collapse around him. The pain in his thigh that he thought had been a bullet, that he hadn't even to bothered to look at he'd been too distracted by MJ. They must have fired it in the station. 

"I think there's a tracker on Spider-Man. They will know where he is." Peter is completely suspended in a hot white panic. He doesn't even try to hide his absolute devastation from MJ, who's pursing her lips tightly. 

"Peter! MJ" Ned's hanging out of the doorway, his expression crippled with anxiety. "You're gonna wanna see this." Together, they fumble back into the debate hall, a glimmer of sweat racing down his forehead. 

Inside, the entire debate team are crowded around a single IPhone that's propped against Cindy's pencil case. They're watching what appears to be some kind of news broadcast and as he moves forward, he realises it's the local news station, that same one that plasters his face on every programme.

"No way!"

"Who do you think it is?" 

"Shut up!" MJ growls and the group snap quiet, ringing the voice of the anchor woman so loud that her voice echoes off the wall.

"Police have identified the assalent as a student or teacher currently attending Midtown High School in  Queens. Although no suspects are currently in custody, Police do say that residents can expect an arrest to be made today." 

His life recently has been nothing but confusion; every event and feeling as messed up and misdirected as the last. Peter, however, has never been more sure of anything. 

This is it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting close folks!


	12. Electricity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and MJ are nearing the end.

It's not until the news station moves on to another, more trivial story, that he bolts for the hallway, his knees about to buckle. Sliding his back against the wall, he crashes onto the laminate flooring with a thump and wrenches his fingers through his hair. Jesus, this is a nightmare. 

Beside him, the hall door clicks shut and Ned wanders out tentatively,  coming to a stop at his feet. Ned's tinged a frost white, blood drained from his face and he's frowning deeply, nails dug into his hands so that they leave warm pink imprints. Blowing out a deep shuddering breath, Peter pushes himself up from the floor. 

"I need to lead them away from the school."

"Peter!" Ned shouts, mouth agape, "Are you crazy? Why can't you just hide the suit." He's well aware of the danger he's putting himself in, but it's nothing compared to the danger he'll put everyone else in if he let's the police ravage the school searching for him. 

"If I leave the suit at school that puts everyone under suspicion. This is my mess to fix."

He's trying very hard to keep his voice steady but it comes out in uneven gasps. Ned opens his mouth to protest again, but he's silenced by the click of the door swinging open and shutting again. 

MJ's eyes are wide, glittering with an unguarded intensity and her expression is stern, though unbalanced, as if she's forcing the frown off her face. 

"Ned, can I talk to Peter for a moment?' She asked, pitch low. Shuddering, she flashes Ned a pleading look, that Peter doesn't understand at first, but when Ned slips back into debate hall, realisation grounding him to the spot. 

It's a good thirty seconds before she says anything and Peter is so damn grateful. Just to be in her presence, admiring everything he loves about her and more, perhaps for the last time, is more than he could every ask for. 

"You don't have to be hero, Peter." She splutters eventually, an exhausted solemn smile twinging the corners of her lips.  Her chocolate orbs are dewy and warm. "I know you're going to do something stupid, but for once in your life would you put yourself first." 

Peter sniffs and shaking his head, pushes a smile through his panic. "I'm sorry MJ. I can't do that."

To his surprise, she rolls her eyes. "I know, but it was worth the try." He's only just noticed his backpack in her slim fingers and she tosses it to him with a thud against his chest. "Just please come in back in one piece dumbass." 

Peter gives her a dopey smile and shakes her head back at him, "Go." 

Taking one last endulgent glance at MJ, Peter nods, shrugging his bag onto his shoulder and turns on his heel. He's almost skidded down to the end of the hallway however, when he's stopped in his tracks. 

Because this can't be it. This is isn't how he wants it to end and it doesn't have to be. Snapping back again to face her, he runs back towards her, stopping just short of her face. For a short second, he pauses, then his hands are on the small of her back and he pulls her body against him, so that the space between them disappears. 

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do this." He says, nothing every having mattered so much in his life. 

"Shut up." She gasps and then their lips are touching, hard against one another.

Peter's lost in the pressure of her lips on her own and the gentle dip of her hips so that he's cradling in her arms. As the kiss deepens, she cups her finger tips around his jaw and a chill of adrenaline runs through his body. He's not sure how long it is before their lips part from one another, but it's only to gasp for breath. Every worry has dissipated, replaced instead with a chaotic,  brilliant buzz. Sliding her fingers down his jaw, his skin tingling, she looks at him the way he's always wanted her to look at him. 

It's MJ who pulls away first, blushing as she steps away. Eyes alight with hope, she slides her fingers into his hand, squeezing it tightly. 

"I'll see you later." 

Peter really hopes she's right. 

_ 

_Michelle_

"MJ! MJ wait!" She barely registers Ned's voice over the pounding in her ears. "Where are you going?" 

She's creeping out of the school gates, before a teacher can catch her and drag her back in to be interrogated. If the news report is anything close to the truth, Midtown will be swarmed with police officers within the hour, which makes it imperative she gets to them before they get to her. 

She's got a plan; maybe not a good one, but a plan. Because no way is she going to act like the damsel in distress, waiting on her prince to return. She's going to get shit done. 

"Keep your voice down!" She whispers horsley, ducking past the custodians office and out onto the street. "I'm going to the police precinct. I'm going to hack their central computer."

Ned gapes at her, then smacks his hand against his head, with an incredulous expression. "Are you kidding me, why would you do that? That is literally the worst thing you could do right now?" 

She doesn't stop moving, but scrowls at him over her shoulder, shaking her head profoundly. "And how else do we stop them from getting to Spider-Man? Just do nothing?" 

This isn't just for Spider-Man though, this is for Peter, wonderful, ridiculous Peter, who's probably doing something so stupid right now she doesn't want to think about it. 

Ned moans, looking guilty. "No that's what I meant. Are you sure that's the only option? Do you even know how to hack a computer?"

At that, MJ's swings on her heal and raises her eyebrow.

"Sorry! Sorry!" He splutters. "At least let me come with you." MJ throws him a suspicious look. How is Ned involved with Spider-Man too? Whatever motive he has, its clearly eating him alive, for he's jittering anxiously on the spot, the twist of worry claiming his features. 

MJ sighs and passes him a gentle smile through her worry. "Okay." 

-

_Peter_

He knows he ought to stay quiet and and out of sight but Peter can't help but pace up and down behind the dumpster. His nerve endings are fried with adrenaline, though he's not sure whether it's from the actual manhunt that's after him, or the after-effect of his kiss with MJ. It's feels like an aftershock - the ghost of electricity clinging to his lips. 

He's pulled out of his daze by the faint murmur off footsteps at the entrance to the alleyway and instinctively, he clings to the wall. He'd put on the suit straight after leaving the school, figuring it was better to be confronted as Spider-Man than a kid with the costume of a criminal in his backpack. He's already made pretty good progress across the city. He's planning to dump the suit in the river, but he needs to meet someone important on the way. 

Peering timidly from around the dumpster, Peter breathes a heavy sigh, as May's figure graces the passageway. She's squinting through the gloomy shadows and when he moves out into her view, she shrieks, clapping her hand to her mouth. 

"Peter!" 

Forgetting his own strength, Peter barrels into his aunt, nearly knocking her over with the force of the embrace. 

"Hey May." He mumbles into her chest. Moaning slightly, she brushes her hand over his head, then pulls off his mask to stroke his tousled hair. "I'm sorry, May."

"Hey, hey, hey! You have nothing to be sorry for." She chuckles, pulling him close. "I'm just worried about you, buddy."

"I know." There's a prickling in his eyes that leaves him blinking tears away. "I'm gonna fix this."

"Okay, Spider-Man, what's the plan?" She asks, holding him by the shoulders. "Jesus, you need to get out of the suit Peter!" 

"No! I'm going to dump it in the river!" He declares, feigning conviction, "That way there's less of chance of them getting DNA off of the suit to trace back to me." 

May flashes him a pained expression of concern, then her face calms and she throws him back into another hug. It's not long however before she's stiffening in his grip and looking at him with a confused expression. "Peter...you smell like ladies perfume." Then, her mouth opens form a wide O shape, which widens even further into a grin. 

"Did you... MJ...good for you buddy!" She beams and Peter grabs the mask off her to hide his blush. 

Shoving it back on, he cries "Stop it May, no!" He hates how she's so observant. It's not long however, before a new kind of dread filters into his gut, with the buzz of police sirens floating into the air. "May, you need to go, now!" 

Grimacing, she throws him into a last hug, rubbing his back tentatively, "I love you Peter, stay safe, please!" 

"Please May, you've gotta go!" He cries and she obeys, running off back down the alley way, her eyes never once leaving him. "I love you too!" 

The sirens sing even louder and the squeal of brakes has him poised for escape. Glancing up quickly, he fires his web to the sky, just in time to escape the spray of bullets.  

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally!


	13. Tracker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ned and MJ sneak into the police precinct and Peter tries to get rid of the suit. A shocking discovery awaits.

_**Peter** _

"Mr Stark, not to be rude or anything, but this is really not a good time!"

Peter almost drops the cellphone, as he pins himself to the exposed brick wall. Sucking in his breath, his eyes widen as the headlights of a cop car beam down the alleyway he's cowering in and he draws even further into himself, desperate to avoid being caught in the light. He's been zigzagging across Queen's for hours now, escaping each encounter with the police by the skin of his teeth, but even as the central skyline melts away into the docklands that accompany the river bank, he knows he's far from out of the woods yet. He's never seen so many police; perhaps, he thinks, they're closer on his tail then he knows. 

Letting out a shuddering breath, Peter slides down the wall as the white light filters away and the grumble of an engine trundles away. Shoving the phone to his ear as he creeps down the passageway, Peter cringes as Tony's heightened voice cascades into his ears.

"-Jesus kid just tell me you're okay! I've been going out of my mind!"

"Mr. Stark!" Peter hisses, his voice barely audible in the quiet of the alleyway. "I'm fine! I'm good."

Tony breathes, hard in to the receiver. "Alright kid, you want the good news or the bad news?"

Peter's stomach lurches. How can their be any more bad news? 

"Believe it or not, I don't think this can get any worse." He moans, as the memory of the news broadcast resurfaces, "They know where I go to school, how long will it be before people find out?" 

"Actually, that could be a good thing." Mr. Stark's voice comes quick and concentrated. "They're shooting at a high schooler, that looks very bad for the cops Peter." 

Peter stills to absorb what Tony is telling him, cogs unwinding in his brain. "And that's the good news?"

At the other end of the line, Peter can just make out the murmur of voices. "I've got the best lawyers in the country about to walk into a meeting with the head of the NYPD. They've launched a public smear campaign endangering a the life 15 year old kid without a scrap of evidence - they're looking at a very hefty lawsuit." 

Tony's voice is like music to his ears and for a moment, he almost feels himself lightening at the unburdening of weeks of anxiety and fear. It soon dissipated however, with the tinkling of a police siren reminding him that he is by no means a free man.

Grinding his teeth, Peter swallows and asks "And the bad news." At that, Tony goes quiet, before letting out an audible groan. 

"Until the police agree to call off the manhunt, you're gonna have to stick it out." Problem is, Peter's not sure he can. He's absolutely exhausted, nerves fried and legs aching. Heart thumping at the rustle of footsteps some place close, he puffs out his cheeks and crouches his knees, ready to move. 

"Okay."

-

**_Michelle_ **

They barely make it past the front desk of the precinct, MJ scowling furiously at an officer who even dares to challenge them. Leaping up the stairs, MJ almost doesn't notice Ned wavering at the bottom of the staircase, a panicked look of his face. He'd hardly said a word the entire subway ride over to the police station, only nodding as MJ rehearsed their plan aloud over and over again.

If Ned can keep a lookout and distract any passers by for just a few minutes, then MJ should have enough time hack into the main server and track Spider-Man's whereabouts. She knows exactly where her mom will be; in her office on the top floor of the precinct, yet the thought of her finding them is enough to break her into a nervous sweat. 

Giving Ned an encouraging smile, she drops back down the staircase, placing a gentle hand on his lower arm. The intimacy of her touch has an almost electric effect, shocking Ned out of his daze into an expression somewhere between confusion and intense anxiety. 

"Ned, you okay?" She asks tentatively. 

Ned passes her an uneasy smile, shivering slightly. His mouth opens to speak, but then he falters, the words just escaping him and trapping him into a silent worry. Then finally, he frowns up at MJ, shaking his head.

"I'm fine, it's just...shit, he's really in trouble isn't he?" He shuts his mouth quickly as if he's said far too much. MJ doesn't want to think about it. Of course has her suspicions , how could she not? There are too many coincidences between Peter and Spider-Man for it to be mere chance. She's observant, after all. But it's just so much easier, to not make the connection; to imagine Spider-Man as a total stranger, who's life they're trying to save. 

"Ned, Peter and Spider-Man are both going to be fine." She says, with immense conviction for someone who's just as scared as he is. "Because they've got us."

Ned smiles, properly this time and puffing out his cheeks, powers up the stairs. "You're right." He murmurs, more to himself than MJ, "Guy in the chair...come in Ned...guy in the chair." 

MJ smiles to herself, pushing down the infinite nervous energy that's building inside of her. The precinct is emptier than she's ever seen it; they've probably got every officer they have out looking for Spider-Man. As they clear the top of the stairs and make their way down the corridor however, the sound of a familiar voice has MJ grabbing Ned by his shirt and dragging him to the side down another stairwell. 

"What the hell?" Ned shrieks but he too soon is stunned into silence as a familiar figure steps into view. Her mom is pacing towards them after another man; her superior, she guesses from his uniform, her face contorted with raw certainty. 

"My decision is final commissioner, I will not allow this precinct to go on a witch hunt for a minor - a high schooler at that." MJ can't help but grin at her mother's words. She's standing up for Spider-Man! The man turns on his heel, sneering cruley. 

"You will regret this." He declares, sinisterly, "That Spider-Man is a menace!" Anger flushes through her veins and she struggles to stay hidden away. Ned's hand however, is on her arm, knowingly. 

Her Mom gives the commissioner a confident smile, nodding as she folds her arms. "I won't." Wow...her mom is like...really cool. And in seconds, she's gone, leaving only the sulking man behind her.  

Not leaving a moment to waste, they zip out of their hiding space, MJ leading them down another hallway and slipping into the IT office. She'd expected it to be empty; she remembers her Mom telling her their IT technician had quit, but as she slides the door shut behind them, she grips the desk to steady herself, overwhelmed by relief. 

It takes a few minutes to break through the fire wall - she's slowed down by the sheer mass of security she has to break through but eventually she gets into the main software, packed full of meticulous administration files and other nonsense. Ned tuts beside her, blinking down nervously at his phone. 

"He's not answering." He grimaces, biting his tongue.

MJ gulps, continuing her furious typing attack on the computer. She's almost through to the tracking software; it's poorly hidden, not even subtly disguised. Finally, as the last few fingers of code slip from the keyboard to the computer monitor, a huge map flashes to life, taking up the entire screen. MJ squints, sliding her glasses up her nose and her eyes eventually lock onto the flashing red spot that's moving across the screen. Spider-Man. 

Ned moves forward to hover over her shoulder, too squinting down at the screen. "Where is that?" He mumbles. 

MJ raises an eyebrow, drawing back from the screen. "He's heading towards the river." They sit in silence for a few seconds, both entranced by the Super-Hero zipping across the screen. Then, MJ moves closer again to the monitor, eyes focussing on something else. Right in the corner, in blinking red writing, reads the words:

_INTERNAL TRACKER_

"Internal tracker?" She breathes, unpleasantly bemused. Her eyes drift over to meet Ned's, but he's not there. Spinning round in her chair, she finds him routing through what appears to be a plastic crete, packed full off smaller black cases.

"MJ." 

Slipping wordlessly from her seat, she tiptoes over to join him, crouching over the mysterious box. He's holding one of the boxes open, mind ticking away as he closely examines its contents. On the inside, in thin white writing, reads the word 'tracker'. MJ's heart skips a beat. This must be the shipment of weapons - this is what they put on Spider-Mans suit!

"MJ." Ned asks, slowly, "What does this look like to you?" He holds up the weapon, a shining black piece, that vaguely resembles a handgun.

MJ furrows her brow. "Well...uh...a gun?" 

Ned throws her a pained luck and suddenly, understanding clicks into her brain. No. No! God this is so, so much worse than she thought. 

Her voice is horse yet thrilled with intensity. "Call him. Now!" 

- 

**_Peter_ **

Peter clenches his arms around himself, against the deathly cold that floats off the river. He can't believe he's made it. Sprinting into a vacant warehouse, he'd practically thrown the suit of his body, shoving it into his backpack and yanking on his civilian clothes. Now all he has to do is throw the suit in the river and he's done. This nightmare is close to being over. He hasn't has chance to look for the tracker yet, but he'd much rather get rid of it now than waste vital time getting caught.

Stepping back, he takes the suit from the backpack, ready to plunge it into the depths of the river. That is until, his cellphone chimes yet again, screeching for an answer. Chewing his lip, he fumbles with his phone, throwing it to his ear. It must important, if whoever it is has gone to such great lengths to get in touch. 

"Peter!" MJ's voice is somewhere between a breath and a scream and Peter jolts back, instantly filled with worry. 

"MJ?"

"Peter!" She sounds so worked up she's struggling for breath. Peter's gut twists another degree. "The tracker isn't on the Spider-Man suit." She heaves.

"What?" Peter's blood runs cold.

"It's not in the suit! It's...it's inside of you! The tracker is inside of you."

Peter's not exactly sure when it happens but seconds later, his knees are hitting the ground.

MJ's breath is horse but she's still there, clinging on to the other end of the line. "Run, Peter!" 

The phone call ends, alongside the bleak hope of a happy ending. 

 


	14. The Peter Parker Problem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michelle confronts what she's feared all along.

_**Michelle** _

"It's not in the suit! It's...it's inside of you! The tracker is inside of you."  


The silence on the other end of the line that follows suit, is a punishment worse than any cry of pain. She's begging for him to utter just a word, as a God sent reminder that he's still there; that Peter isn't laying dead somewhere, rain soaking up his blood on the pavement. But not a single sound materialises; all she can hear is the prickle of white noise. 

The pressure of touch on her fingers is what transcends through her panic. Ned's squeezing her hand gently in his own, suspended in his own state of devastation at the hopelessness of the situation. After several eternities, she bursts out again, in one last attempt to help him, to do anything. 

"Run, Peter!" 

After a few seconds of nothing, Ned clicks the call to an end, the invasiveness of silence finally having defeated them. It's only when Ned drops her hand and gasps, that she's alerted the clicking of heeled boots on the laminate flooring. 

Oh God. 

MJ and Ned lurch around to the doorway, as the door whips open with a swift crack. 

"What the hell are you doing?" Her Mom speaks with a coldness that burns MJ to the core. She stands completely still, immobilised by the look of betrayal on her mother's face, as if she's looking upon her worst enemy, instead of her only daughter. Her eyes begin to water and she blinks hard, to maintain her composure in front on Ned. 

"Mom..." She chokes out. She feels as if she's suffocating, the overwhelming pressure building in her head so that she can hardly keep herself steady. "I can explain...I" 

"Mrs. Jones, this is my fault-" 

MJ groans and shakes her head profoundly, flicking tears onto the floor. "No Ned don't. This was my idea." 

Her Mom's eyes flicker from the monitor that's still blinking to her daughter and back again, finally settling upon MJ, stone faced and impenetrable. 

"Ned, I'm taking you home." Her mother's voice is curt and Ned nods quickly, eyes never once leaving the ground.

Then her Mom turns to stare at her and her lip curls and MJ has never felt so ashamed in her life. She couldn't have acted more irresponsibly, undermining her Mom in her own precinct, not to mention the countless laws they've probably broken hacking into the tracking system. 

"Michelle. Get in the car. Now." 

- 

Lying in her bed staring up at the ceiling, it's almost as if she's floating. Her Mom hadn't said a word on the way home and it was only once they were firmly in the apartment that she'd broken her vow of silence. 

She'd wanted to tell her why she's been all over the place recently, why she'd been mad enough to break into the police station and why she's so involved with Spider-Man. Yet she knows she's opening up a thousand more cans of worms at every secret she discloses. So instead, she'd just sat there, helpless to convince her Mom that she was justified in her actions, until her Mom stormed out of the apartment and had driven back to the police precinct. 

Then of course, there's Peter. Or Spider-Man. She's not even sure anymore. She doesn't want to think about what's happening to him, or what's going to happen. It's all to painful and helpless. So instead, she just lays there, comforted only by the ghost of his lips on her own and the dream of one more day together. That's all she wants. She wants to trace the curve of his jaw, to dive into those eyes one more time. Just once, only once. 

After a while, her head starts to ache once more and she pads into the kitchen in search of water. As she passes through living room, her eyes flicker to the television that still plays on mute. Squinting, she gulps in recognition at the sight of Spider-Man on the News Network. Stumbling forward, she sinks to her knees in front of the TV, encapsulated by the familiar figure. There's only a couple of photos; both capturing his swinging through the sky but there enough to push her mind into gear. There's something about those photos that she can't quite put her finger on. Wait a second...

Grabbing the remote, she forwards back and forward between both images. The first...that must only be three blocks from here! Then the second..two. He couldn't be...coming here, could he? It's not a risk she's willing to take. Sprinting into action, she rips her jacket off its hook and speeds out of the apartment, leaping up flight after flight of stairs, towards the roof. Finally reaching it, she barges her shoulder against the door with strength she didn't even know she could muster and slips out onto roof top. 

For a few seconds, there's just her on the rooftop, engulfed in cold and silence. Then...he's there! Materialising out of the darkness, he's gliding towards the rooftop, both hands gripped tight on his web. He's getting closer and closer, feet almost touching the ground. That's when a gunshot slices through the silence and straight through Spider-Man's thigh. 

The strangled cry he makes is enough to make MJ scream back at him, clapping her hand to her mouth. Spider-Man crashes to the roof, suddenly disjointed and broken, his body crumbling to a holt. This is a nightmare, a real nightmare. As he lays motionless and still, a thin trickle of blood pools from his leg. 

"No!" She throws herself forward, running towards the collapsed figure and dropping to her knees besides him. This can't be Peter, Jesus please don't let this be Peter. It's not him, it can't be. It's just a strange man, a total stranger. That's how she has to deal with this, or else it just might split her in two. 

Understandably, the last thing Michelle had expected to be doing late on a Tuesday night was to be tending to a injured Spider-Man on the roof of her apartment building. A bullet wound, cleanly hammered into his thigh, expels a pool of blood onto her jeans as she balances the man - no boy, on her lap. Cursing profusely, Michelle wrenches back the wave of panic that's gripping her. She can't do this by herself. What the hell was this kid thinking anyway? 

'Come on Spider dude." She jostles the boy delicately but he's rigid and motionless in her grasp. God - is he even breathing? She's begging for a response - something, just anything so she knows he's okay. Michelle doesn't even want to think about what she'll do if he's not. 

Her fingers, shivering slightly in the winter cold, move slowly to his neck, to the fringe where his mask meets the rest of the suit. It was so different- seeing the masked superhero, parade around the city like he's invincible, to now, just a boy, probably terrified that he's going to die. Finally grasping the mask in her fingertips, she lifts the mask up over his face, to reveal a pair of wide brown eyes. 

Tears pool involuntarily over her cheeks, as she cups Peter's face in her hands, bowing her head towards him. 

"I'm sorry." Peter gasps. 


	15. I like you.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can MJ save Peter?

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you." His voice croaky and he furrows his brow in guilt. Oh Peter...

Holding his hand delectely, as if her touch is going to break it, she lets out a smile that's quickly conquered by a sob. Even now, with his leg ripped open by a bullet, his first reaction is to apologise. He's far too kind for his own good. 

"It's okay, it's okay!" She cries, forcing down a laugh at his ludicrous remark, even in blurred panic of the scene. "It's not important!"

"Yes...yes it is-" Peter manages but he's cut off by his own breathless gasp as his face contorted with pain. A thin sliver of sweat runs down his forehead and Peter blinks, slowly, as if the world is plodding to a close around him. Blood gushes from his wound, transforming the pool of blood into an ocean and his skin has taken on a damp paleness. 

"No... we need to get you to a hospital..." Never once letting go of her hand, she ever so carefully slides him from her lap, so that she can take a better look at the wound. The sight of a jagged exit wound on the back of his thigh, matted with the red and blue of the Spider-Man suit, is enough to launch bile up into her throat. How the hell is she supposed to stop the bleeding? 

Peter squeezes her hand tight but as she flicks her head, his face is serene, as if stress is bleeding out of him too. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I was really scared and I was stupid because I wanted to tell you so bad..." The words flow out of him, strung by a melody that's enthused with tremble of emotion in his voice. "Because I didn't want you to hate me for what I did. But it's the biggest mistake I've ever made because... because I like you so so bad MJ. So bad that when I say I like you... it's not enough... " 

Utterly overcome by emotion, she bites down hard on her lip, something swelling in her chest so that it feels far too tight.

"I like you too Peter. I like you too."

Stroking her hand through his hair, feeling the soft curls under her fingers, she gulps and squint around at the skyline. Something feels wrong. The bullet must have come from an officer on the roof of the building across - yet there's not an officer to be seen. Even the sound of police sirens have dissipated. Her stomach churns. 

Gazing back at Peter, she jolts into action at the sight of his eyes fluttering and his lips turning to blue.  

"No, no, Peter! You've gotta stay with me Peter." She pants, holding his face in her hand and pressing down hard on his fingers. Peter pushes out a shallow breath and moans loudly, writhing in her grasp. 

"I...I don't know if I can." He breathes, barely able to keep his eyes on her. "H-Hurts..."

"I know...I know." She murmurs, eyes prickling again. "But...but you've got to stay with me Peter...I don't know what to do!"

Peter casts her a solemn look, as light filters out of his eyes and his eyes swoop shut. She can only just hear his breathing, coming out in short sharp rasps, almost completely void of life. 

"Peter?" Wrenching back a sob, she presses her hands to his wound but blood still pools through her fingers. Even in his sleep, his features are still wracked with pain. How the hell is she going to stop the bleeding? It's all too much, she can't help him...

Her salty tears dripping, bullet shaped, onto his face, she caresses his arm, stroking her fingers backwards and forwards in a slim attempt to give him comfort. The suit itself is strange to touch and as her fingers flush over what must be his web shooters, a strand of hope flicks into her brain. 

Yes...yes...that would definitely work! Springing into action, she pulls a metal grip from her hair and meticulously pushes the sharp end into the material near the wrist of the costume, leaving a slim hole. Then, she shoves both fingers into the gash and pulls as hard as she can, tearing the material apart. Groaning as she musters all the strength the can, MJ pulls and tears, until finally, the web shooter separates from Peter's suit.  

Breath heaving with adrenaline, she crouches back on her knees and presses down hard on the web shooter, so that a slender web sticks to the roof. Perfect. 

Tearing the suit again at his wound, so that the skin around Peter's thigh is exposed on both sides, MJ grits her teeth and fires. Sure enough, the web fluid stretches a thin layer over his wound and as she fires again and again, the flow of blood slows, covering him with a layer of bandage. Finally, as she shoots for the last time, the bleeding stops entirely and MJ clutches her heart in momentary relief. 

He's still on conscious however and his skin is a deathly pale - what the hell was in that bullet? Now she has to get him the hell off this roof. But who can she call? An ambulance would be far too dangerous - that's his identity exposed and an arrest incredibly likely. Wait a second...maybe she can call someone. 

Sliding her hands along the suit, her fingers graze the bulge of a phone at his belt. Whisking it out - ever careful not to move him, she clicks on the phone and slides through his contacts, until she comes to the name she's been looking for:

_tony stark [ 1 missed call ]_

She doubts she's ever moved so fast as she slams the call button, rocking on her knees, phone to her ears. 

"Come on...come on..." 

After what feels like an age, the noise blinks to a voicemail and she cries out in frustration. 

"God damn it!-"

Her tantrum however, is interrupted by the faint glinting of something red in the sky, producing a harsh rushing sound that vaguely resembles an engine. It's getting closer and as the rushing screams louder and louder, she jumps to her feet, squinting upwards. After mear seconds however, she's knocked off them, by the booming collision of metal against the roof. Swiftly rolling over, her eyes widen at the sight of a tin soldier, draped in red and gold, boring his gaze down at them.  

It's Iron Man. 

The armour opens with a sharp click and out falls Tony Stark, dropping straight to his knees in front of Peter's still frame. His eyes are wide with panic and he curses in anger, hands hovering above the limp body. She's only ever seen him on the TV, but right now he looks impossibly real and human as he fusses over Peter, yelling out for a response. Brushing his fingers over the webbing on Peter's wound, Stark's eyes lock onto hers and he raises an eyebrow - giving her an impression she can't quite understand. That's when he jumps to his feet and ripping off his suit jacket once again turns around to face her. 

"Okay kid... you with me?" She nods back, finding the strength to pull herself to her feet. 

"Yes...yes." She gulps. 

Mr. Stark nods and asks, "You strong kid?" 

Instructing her to stand by Peter's left shoulder, together, they drag him to his feet and Stark mumbles something into his watch that MJ doesn't quite catch. Casting her a reassuring look, Stark grits his teeth and yells:

"Stand back kid." 

As another suit of Iron Man armour rockets down onto the roof with a bang, the armour Tony had been wearing suddenly rips apart, metal flying towards them. As if guided by invisible hands, the metal coats Peter's body and MJ falls back, to watch in awe as the Iron Man suit coats around him, lifting him to levitate in the air. Propelled by a burst of flame at the feet of the suit, her knees tremble as Peter is propelled upwards, far into the night sky above them. 

Thousands of questions and burning in her mind and she tries to vocalise something but all she can do is choke out a harsh yelp, as she crumples to the floor of the roof. Her head is going to explode, for an immense pressure is building inside of it that threads black spots over his vision and makes her body feel incredibly light. As her head hits the ground, MJ is vaguely aware of the skimming of fingers on her shoulder. Finally, as she's lulled into a chaotic sleep, strong fingers push pressure on her ribs, as she too is yanked high, high into the air. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MJ is such a badass!


	16. Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter wakes up.

_**Peter** _

The first thing Peter is aware off, as darkness lurches to light, is an overwhelming brightness of white. Squinting, Peter fidgets and hums at the brush of lush soft linen against his skin. His eyesight is still foggy, yet as it clears, he can just make out the shape of a clock on the wall in front of him. He's in what must be a hospital room; crisp and white, it's impossibly sterile but the aesthetically placed splashes of colour give it a homely, slightly lavish feel.

Looking to his left, he's greeted by a bedside table that's been engulfed in brightly coloured packages and cards. Tiny Lego Star Wars men, too litter the cabinet, carefully positioned so that they're engaged in a fierce reenactment of a battle. Ned? It's enough to make Peter smile but his gut still stirs with caution, at the strangeness of his surroundings.  He's about to reach out to grab one, when the sound of breathing makes him jump out of his skin. 

Jolting his head to the side, he takes in a sharp breath then exhales, at the sight that greats his eyes. 

It's MJ. She's lying, rather crumpled in the chair to the right of his bed, hair wildly curled and messy, fast asleep. The light that filters in from a singular window illuminates her skin with a bronzed glow and as she exhales, she slides slightly off her perch. Peter blinks his eyes open and closed, in an effort to authenticate that she's actually real. Amazingly, however, no matter how hard he stares, her slender legs still hang jauntily over the edge of the armchair, swaying slightly in her sleep. 

Overcome by a sudden sense of urgency, Peter swings his legs to step out of bed but he hisses in pain as a sharp stabbing feeling slashes through his thigh. Pulling back his bedsheets, he cringes at the sight of his heavily bandaged leg as a flood of memories rush into his conscience. Oh yes, he got shot. Peeling back the bandage, he grits his teeth as the sight of the wound, still fresh, but not quite the monstrous infliction it had once been. That's a thought, how long has he been here? And shouldn't his healing factor have kicked in by now? God, he really doesn't have a clue...

"Peter."

Peter freezes, then very slowly raises his head to follow the voice that has pervaded the quiet. As their eyes meet one another, a shuddering breath escapes from his chest. MJ's just woken up, probably pulled into consciousness by his moaning and blinking at him, an exhausted smile on her face. Taking her in, an immense gravity settles between them, that sends a nervous tingle through his limbs. 

"Hi..." He breathes, a nervous smile capturing then relinquishing his lips. 

"How are you feeling?" She asks, concern dripping off of every syllable. Dark circles shadow underneath her eyes, as if she's barely slept in days and her nails are bitten down almost to the root. In all honestly, he's not entirely sure how he's feeling. Everything feels so oddly alien and  it's enough to trigger a mild sense of worry. His own problems however, seem to be of such insignificance. What on earth must May be thinking? His gut churns at the thought. 

"Sore." He responds and MJ nods, her lips tight. Then, he laughs and shakes his head, feeling immensely stupid. "I'm Sorry...where are we?"

He's trying to stop the encroachment of a wave of panic thats coursing through his body, yet he can't stop his voice trembling as he speaks. 

MJ smiles patiently back at him and he's instantly grateful for the pervasive calmness that she evokes. "We're upstate, Mr. Stark brought you here after you...uh...got shot." She replies, gesturing out of the window to where vast green grass spreads to a darker green treeline. Yes, this definitely isn't Queens. Does May even know he's here? She must be going out his mind!

"How long was I out?" He asks slowly, almost not wanting to hear the answer. Bright sunlight is streaming into the room, asbent of the darkness that has plagued the New York winter for weeks. "It's been a day right?"

MJ grimaces.

"Three days." Jesus.

There's still so many questions he wants to ask, yet his brain is still slow and foggy and he's left just opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish. 

"Does May know I'm here?" His words are coming out in stuttering gasps now, the sound of his heartbeat booming louder and louder in his ears. He's so grateful she's here; all he wants to do is hold her tight but he's totally ensnared by the panic that's ripping his grip on understanding anything at all. He can vaguely see her mouthing words to him, yet he can't even catch a sound. Even as spring out of the chair and sits down right in front of him, he can't stay still enough to focus on her for he's shivering so badly and his vision is spotted black and he skin is damp and he's sweating and -

And she's kissing him. The blessing of her lips on his mouth and her hands of his cheeks, holding him together, is enough to ground him firmly in reality, his senses once again sharp and alert. As she draws away from him, he actually moans, much to his embarrassment. 

MJ keeps her eyes on him, steady and kind and holding his hand, she pinches it tight. 

"You're Aunt's here Peter, she's just downstairs. I said I'd watch you whilst she got some sleep, in case you woke up.  It's fine Peter, really, everything is okay now." 

"Sorry." He replies, utterly suspended by the enigma that is Michelle Jones. How is it possible that one person can be everything? Kind, caring but courageous and true all at once. It's so easy to be absorbed in everything about her. 

Cracking into a smile, she laughs and looks at him incredulously, "Stop saying sorry." For the first time, Peter smiles back at her and it's actually real, the fiendish monster of anxiety in his gut stilled by her tranquility. MJ slips her hand under has jaw and touches his cheek, sliding her thumb over his skin gently. The pressure of her fingers makes his skin feel raw but he doesn't want it to stop. There's no awkwardness between anymore - well, admittedly, they're still both incredibly awkward people, yet all that is cancelled out by the excitement of something new and wonderful. Peter lifts his hand to hold her own and they just smile at each other dopily, the room blurring out so that she's all he can see. 

 

"Wow Mr. Parker, you have got game." Peter and MJ spasm apart as Mr. Stark booms into the room, slamming the door against the wall, an unbearable smirk on his face. Tony gapes at Tony, stunned momenterely.  He's dressed more casually than Peter's ever seen him, stripped down into to a crisp white shirt and grey pants. He looks as if he's home Wait a second...are they in the Avenger's compound? God, this is weird day. MJ is scowling at Mr. Stark, a deep red flush on her cheeks and Peter bites back a chuckle. "Really Peter, you don't waste a minute!" 

Spotting MJ, Tony throws up his hands, in a mildly apologetic gesture. "Okay, okay, my bad." Sitting next to Peter's feet, he reaches over and gives Peter a heavy thump on the back. "Seriously, how you feeling kid?" 

"Fine... a little sore...tired..." He decides, wincing quietly and  slightly embarrassed by how stunted and slow his speech is. 

Mr. Stark snorts and quirks an eyebrow, "You lost a hell of a lot of blood Parker, heck, if it wasn't for Michelle here..." He tails off, blissfully unaware of how MJ is going even redder. She opens her eyes wide and shakes her head viciously, pouting her lips. 

"I...it was nothing, really...you're exaggerating!" She stammers. Peter cocks his head in confusion. He's missed a lot in three days. 

"God, why are you kids so damn humble? It's painful!" Tony exclaims, sitting on his hip and folding his arms, "If I were you I would be exploiting this." 

MJ rolls her eyes at Mr. Stark. "Anyway, you probably have a lot of questions." 

Michelle had done her best, but that's kind of a understatement. 

Peter furrows his brow for a moment, finally deciding on a question to shrink his confusion into one. 

"Okay, why aren't in jail?" 

MJ and Tony smile knowingly at one another and he gazes back at them, doe eyed. 

Michelle is the first to break the quiet. "Like I said, it's over Peter, you're free."

Peter's jaw drops.

"How?" He cries and Mr. Stark winces. It's only now that he notices even through his flamboyant gestures, how tired he looks too. 

"The lawsuit pulled through. We came to an arrangement with the NYPD that in return for your acquittal from all charges, Stark Industries wouldn't take them to court for gross misconduct for their dealings with a minor." Mr Stark declares. 

"It was the News broadcast that did it." MJ adds, a satisfactory smile creeping onto the corners of his mouth. "They thought be telling the public where you went to school, that someone would turn you in , but they couldn't have been more wrong. It practically turned the city against the cops, even within the police for the matter. The commissioner had a full scale mutiny on his hands." 

Peter can't quite wrap his head around what he's hearing. All these weeks, of pain and worry and alienation...they're over...

"But what really matters." Stark continues, pulling towards his resolution, "Is that you're okay. Heck, I was furious when I found out what kind of bullet they used." 

At this, Tony scrubs his palm over his stubble, anger prickling in his cheeks. "Military grade artillery! On a kid!" 

Eventually dismissing himself to go wake up Aunt May, MJ and Peter and left alone once again, Peter poignantly reminded of just how lucky he is. 

Peter doesn't waste a moment before he moves closer to MJ again. 

"What did you do?" Peter inquires. Confirming defeat, MJ looks back up at him brightly. 

"When you got shot, the uh...bullet...went straight through your thigh and you were bleeding really, really badly. So I cut the web shooters off your suit and used the webs to stop the bleeding." She shrugs, as if she's not just told him something incredible. He's almost short for breath - again. 

Tilting his head in disbelief, Peter laughs nervously. "You...you saved my life...didn't you?" 

She stares down, oddly entranced by the bed sheets. "That's what Mr. Stark said." She grumbles. God, she's amazing. 

Peter pushes her chin up with his finger, so that she has to look directly into his eyes and just smiles, then grins, then beams back at her. At first, she tries to keep her stoic expression, but in seconds she's smiling too. 

"Is this real?" Peter asks, totally flummoxed. This time, MJ doesn't have to answer, for her lips do all the telling. 

- 

 

 


	17. Epilogue

**_Michelle_ **

It's not long after that they kiss again, that she lets Peter slip back into a peaceful, painless sleep. Normally, she'd find this an insult to her kissing technique, but he's so pumped full of drugs that Michelle is surprised he'd even managed to stay awake that long. The infection he'd obtained from the bullet had been a challenge even for Spider-Man's superhuman immune system but according to Mr. Stark, he'll make a full recovery, it's only a matter of time. 

There are still so many questions she wants to ask, as she steps into the crisp winter cold of the grounds, but she knows she ought to get back to the City and convince her Mom she actually has any sanity left. Besides, May deserves to see her nephew alone - conscious this time. Eventually, after a couple of minutes or so of waiting, the heavy breathing of an engine rumbles towards her, the expensive gleam of the car glinting in the chilly sunlight. 

Swinging open the door, MJ slides into the plush leather seat, melting into it's fine furnishings. This world really is a thousand miles away from her life in Queens. She's so engrossed the luxurity of her surroundings, that she doesn't notice Mr. Stark sitting in the front seat. 

"Where to kid?" MJ raises an eyebrow. Doesn't he have more important things to do the chauffeur her around? 

"Not to be rude but shouldn't you being doing...something else?" She asks, tilting her head. 

"Jesus." Tony scoffs, feigning hurt, "The youth of today have no respect for their elders."

At the sight of MJ pursing her lips, suspiciously, however, he moves his body round to face her, shedding all his joviality. 

"Actually I was hoping you'd hear me out, I have an idea." 

-

_**Peter** _

After just over a week - including the days he'd spent unconscious - Peter's given the all clear, much to his relief. Normally, he'd be like a kid in a candy-shop, crawling the walls of the Avengers facility but right now, he's dying to get back to the city and to be reunited with his friends. 

Things aren't going to be the same anymore; he knows that now. He's on a strict no Spider-Man regime at the hands of Mr. Stark and Aunt May but at that he's kind of relieved, happy to hide away from the dangerous world of his alter-ego and firmly within the relative normality of Peter Parker. Then of course there's MJ. 

There's so much that's been left unsaid, so many questions and unsettled truth to come to light. Yet he longer feels the morbid sense of apprehension he's become so accustomed to, instead it's been replaced by a fruitful buzz of excitement that leaves him restless. 

On the morning of his first day back at school, May ambushes him as he hovers in the doorway, fumbling with his backpack. Crushing him into a bone-snapping hug, Peter breathes in the sweet light scent of her perfume, his nose buried into her chest. She's been extra attentive recently, hovering gently at his shoulder or observing him from across the hall. As she finally draws away from him, she shakes him by the shoulders, smiling down at him. 

"Go get her Pete!"

"May!"

His cheeks are burning but he can't keep the smile off his face. 

The smile doesn't fall from his face in fact, until he crashes head first into Flash midway to his first period Spanish class. Immediately, his lips curl into a snarl and Peter tenses his body, ready for impact. After a few seconds of that momentary growl however, Flash tights his lips and forces a pained look of sympathy. 

"I"m sorry about your accident, Parker." 

Peter blinks back, quite dumbfounded. 

"My accident..." Peter breathes slowly, trying to feign the slightest inch of understanding. Flash shakes his head impatiently and glances awkwardly down at Peter's leg then back up at him again. He's almost healed - almost - but as he walks, he drags his leg a little behind himself. 

"Whatever Parker!" Flash snaps, rolling his eyes. "But listen, just because your girlfriend saved your ass from getting kicked off the team, does not mean you're first chair!" 

-

Much to Peter's dismay, MJ remains a no-show for the rest of the day. No matter how hard he wills her to glide into the cafeteria, she fails to materialise and he's left familiarly pining once again. He's text her too, to no avail. He'd been so ecstatic to see her, after what feels like an age, that he's more than a little disheartened at her absence. 

By the time he reaches his apartment building, his happiness has all but dissipated, replaced instead by the gnawing blade of worry. What if he's scared her off? He'd barely been lucid the last time he'd seen her too; what if she'd just kissed him out of relief that he was actually alive? 

Climbing the last flight of stairs, he glares at his feet, kicking each step as he goes. He's so engrossed in his self deprecation in fact, that he barely registers MJ hovering by his apartment door. She's thumbing her backpack nervously and rocking playfully on her heels, practically expelling a restless excitement. Immediately, Peter splits into a wide smile and she responds with a teasing grin that's annoyingly all knowing. 

Drawing out an anxious breath, she fumbles on her feet. "Sorry!" She gestures to the locked apartment door. "I can come back if..."

"No!" Peter interjects, characteristically awkwardly and MJ laughs back at him, warmth spreading through her pupils. Unlocking the apartment, Peter directs her over to his bedroom door, only to give himself a few seconds to compose himself by the kitchen sink. He's so nervous in fact, the he almost drops the mugs of hot chocolate that he fetches back into his room. The prickling tension between them is almost intoxicating; an invasive electricity that's scarily new. 

As he enters, she's waiting hesitantly by his bed, eyes glittering over the chaotic mess that his room has already become once again. 

"I would have tidied up if I knew you were coming over." He blushes apologetically. 

MJ smiles kindly. "No, I would have called, it's just - I'll explain it a second. You probably have a lot of questions..." 

Patting the bed beside him, they slide against the wall together, knees touching tentatively. Peter thinks hard for a few seconds, trying to simplify the chaos in his mind. Turning his head to face her, he asks, "How did you know?"

MJ properly chuckles this time. "You didn't exactly hide it well Peter!" 

Peter guffaws, mildly offended. "I was totally inconspicuous!" 

Shaking her head, she relents. "Fine. I guess it was that first night on the roof. I think I heard your voice before I saw you. From there it was just confirming it..." 

Her matter-of-fact tone makes it seem so obvious! Perhaps he's not as clued in with the whole secret identity thing as thinks. However, as she smiles quietly, he gets the feeling there were a lot more she's not disclosing. 

"Wow, I must be a lot worse at this than I thought."

"That's actually what I wanted to talk about." Peter raises, but she's far too concentrated on her backpack on the floor beside them. Reaching down, she slides her hand into her bag, pulling out a folded piece of paper and hands it to him. 

"It's from Mr. Stark." He's about to launch into another round of questions but the look of tensity on her face advices him otherwise. Opening the note, still none the wiser, he reads. 

_Peter,_

_Before your snarky teenage brain assumes otherwise, I did not write this note for dramatic effect._

_I let you down kid. It was my job to be responsible for you and I failed. I can't trust myself to look out for you anymore; there are some pretty scary things going on right now, that trust me, you're better off not knowing about. Anyway, if the last few weeks have proved anything, it's that I think there is someone who can look out for you in the way I never could._

_I've entrusted MJ with the controls I have over your suit. That includes a tracker, a monitor for your vitals and a monitor for the suit. That way, we can avoid anything like this ever happening again._

_See you sooner rather than later,_

_Tony._

"It's up to you of course." MJ finishes, biting her lip. Reaching into her backpack again, she pulls out a high-tech looking tablet. "It's what we were working on today." 

Handing him the tablet, she shakes her head nervously. "I'm not trying to force my way into this or anything, it's just...you're so focussed on looking after other people, let me look after you." 

Placing the computer to the side, Peter smiles and leans closer towards her. "I think that's an awesome idea, thank you." 

He's not exactly sure of the sequencing of events that follows, but at some point, the conversation dissipates, the tension between them finally cracking. Words are replaced with gentle touches, breathless kisses and the shedding of clothing and at some point, the tablet clatters to the ground. Peter, however, is far too busy to notice, utterly infatuated with the intangible incredibility of the girl lying of his chest. 

-

_**Michelle** _

It turns out, she never did solve the Peter Parker Problem. He's still a living nightmare; throwing himself from the highest building and only engaging the most dangerous of criminals. In that respect, nothing has changed. 

But somehow, she couldn't be happier. After all, he's her Peter Parker problem. And that's a problem that she can wait a while to solve. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know if this is worth continuing! Thanks for reading :)


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